Opera Collective Ireland and Newry Chamber Music’s production of Jonathan Dove’s The Walk from the Garden recently captivated audiences in three remarkable performances that brought the poignant 50-minute church opera to life. This collaboration showcased the power of music and storytelling to reflect on humanity’s relationship with nature, crossing borders and exploring issues of today’s world of environmental uncertainty.

Directed by Conor Hanratty and conducted by Andrew Synnott, the production unfolded with Irish soloists Aaron O’Hare and Catherine Donnelly performing the roles of Adam and Eve, capturing the profound sorrow and resilience of the characters as they faced their exile from Eden.  Supported by the Clermont Chorale and Gaudeamus under the direction of Ronan Dennedy and Cathal Murphy, the performances enveloped audiences with Dove’s score, as: “They, hand in hand, with wandering steps and slow, through Eden took their solitary way.” 

BBC Radio Ulster’s John Toal introduced both the Armagh and Newry performances, with an illuminating Q&A with director Conor Hanratty, while Opera Collective Ireland’s Artistic Director Colette McGahon did the honours in Dundalk.

This cross-border production was made possible through the support of the Shared Island Civic Society Fund, and performed in Armagh, Newry and Dundalk.

Arts and Entertainment reviewer, Declan McConaghy ’s thoughts on the performance:  

‘Last evening I was on a challenging musical journey with the ambitious performance of Jonathan Dove’s “The Walk from the Garden”.

The setting was the Chapel of St Colman’s College a perfect venue for this church opera. It’s quite difficult to translate this complex aural experience into a few short paragraphs but if you haven’t been to Armagh or Newry then do your best to get to the performance this evenings in Dundalk.

Each venue will provide a unique experience because of the shape of the physical space and the acoustics and the conductor, Andrew Synnott, perambulated between the musicians and choir.

In St Colman’s there was an immersive audio experience for the audience as they were surrounded by the Choir, organ and timpani as Voice of God, the string quartet off to the side and Adam and Eve emerging from the semi gloom onto the raised area.

The thunderous drum, soaring organ and fulsome choir brought God’s voice to the space, and you can imagine how, in the intimate space of the College chapel, you could feel the power of ‘the Voice’.

As the echoes of ‘the Voice’ snaked through the hallways of the empty school the strings of the quartet brought us to the gates of the Garden as Adam, Arron O’Hare, and Eve, Catherine Donnelly, moved into the space and onto the raised area.

Clothed in pure white, and coming to the realisation of what they had done, Adam and Eve recall the beauty of the garden, the flowers, the trees, the animals, their relationship with themselves and with the Voice of God. All was utterly changed.

What commanding performances Catherine and Aaron shared with us.

Like Adam and Eve there was no hiding place and Aaron and Catherine gave us stunning vocal and subtle physical moments of joy, pain, loss and terror.

As I was absorbed into their world, I began to ask myself when did we as a people, as a society, as a community leave behind our garden of Eden.

How many generations would I have to time travel to see perfection, pollution free air and water, perfect climates, and people at one with each other, nature and the Voice?

Strangely the Percy French line ‘The Garden of Eden has vanished they say but I know the lie of it still’ came into my head and I wondered are there places on the planet where Eden still lies and have we moved so far from those places in our pursuit of modern happiness that we can never recover.

As Adam and Eve departed the Garden the purity of the white is replaced by the polyester cloak of modernity. This was an emotional and challenging opera and a huge congratulations to Newry Chamber Music and Opera Collective Ireland for producing the event.

For me this was my first experience of a Church Opera and what an introduction.

In the musical landscape of our city the opportunity not only to experience a production of this scale and ambition is vital, but to also know that many of the creative team and performers have been nurtured and encouraged by generations of mentors and that they have been given the space to perform world class pieces.’