Alan Garner, Principal Cor Anglais
Alan Garner, Principal Cor Anglais, talks about his experience as a member of our Orchestra during lockdown.
Over the past several months we have spent lots of time speaking with our artists from the Royal Ballet, Opera, and the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House about what life was like through lockdown and how it has been for them returning to live performance.
The musicians of our Orchestra have experienced incredible amounts of disruption to their professional lives. Some members of the ROH Development team recently sat down with our Principal Cor Anglais, Alan Garner, to find out what life has been like for him and his fellow members of the Orchestra throughout the pandemic.
What was the first stage of the pandemic like for you?
It seems like a very long time ago, but I still remember the lead up to everything shutting down. I don’t think I quite believed that it was going to happen, but we were rehearsing Leoš Janáček’s Jenůfa, and to get so close to being ready to perform to then have that all taken away was incredibly difficult. We all thought it would last a few weeks! One of my fellow musicians actually left a book I lent to her in her locker thinking we would be back soon, and here we are eighteen months later just beginning our return to performing now.
How did the Orchestra stay active and positive whilst unable to play together?
We were all quite shocked at what was happening, and generally quite disorientated. Playing in the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House is a really full on schedule and any small interruption to the regular flow of activities can take quite some time to recover from. As a community of musicians, however, we really supported each other through this strange period. We ran a fortnightly newsletter where we would share what we’d been up to in our newly found spare time, where I particularly enjoyed some of the incredible recipes shared, including one particularly memorable one for caponata from Antonio Pappano!
Musically, it was all change as well. We all had to learn very quickly how to record ourselves, so we could continue to perform and create for our wonderful audience. It was a bit of a mad rush to get hold of the right equipment, but in some ways was quite fun as we were all finding our way in the new world together.
How have the Orchestra been managing since reopening?
The reality is that whilst we are back performing for our audience once again, we are still a long way from being back to normal. The Orchestra have done all we can do given the situation, which includes major changes to accommodate social distancing, but it is not yet possible to return to “normal” just yet. It is essential that the musicians of the Orchestra be close to one another and that plays a big role in how we play well together. Your support will help us get back to the point where we can bring you the full-scale sights and sounds of the Royal Opera House that you know and love.
What does the Royal Opera House mean to you?
I first played with the Orchestra of the Royal Opera House back in 1994, before joining as a full member in 2002 – so, it’s been a part of my life for nearly thirty years now! For me, it’s an institution that I am so incredibly proud of and something that we as a nation should be incredibly proud of. Music, and playing as a member of the Orchestra is something that defines who I am, and the past year has really highlighted that for me. It’s not something that I like, but something that I need. The pandemic has been a timely reminder about how much so many of us need music in our lives, and how endlessly fascinating it can be.
What do the supporters of the Royal Opera House mean to you and your fellow artists?
I would just like to say a major thank you to everyone who has donated to our Recovery Campaign so far. It’s an extraordinary feeling to know that even after all this time and everything we have been through, so many people who have stayed with us through the pandemic, both in the auditorium and online, are still so positive about the future of ballet and opera and have chosen to support us financially.
Something our audience members might not realise is that they are as vital to the performance as us artists are – they provide us with so much of the energy and emotion with which we play. I fondly recall past performances of the Ring cycle when I would see the same faces in the front row night after night for all four performances. By the end of Götterdämmerung, it felt like I had been on a journey not just with the cast and crew, but with those members of the audience as well.
Thank you for your support and for staying with us – I am so incredibly grateful.
Royal Opera House Recovery Campaign
As a member of the Royal Opera House community, we hope you might please consider helping us return in full force by making a gift to our Recovery Campaign.
Help us make sure our 2021/22 Season can return us to the drama of live ballet and opera in its fullest and most fantastic form.
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