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Charis Duke has been composing
since she was about eight. In her family
that was no big deal, her three siblings
grew up writing music a
s well.
“In my family, growing up, it was
normal for Mother’s Day
or Father’s Day to give my
parents songs that we had
written or something like
that,” said Duke.
“I thought composing
was normal, that everybody
did it.”
Duke’s early start
in the musical arena has
turned out to be a great
boon for the folks of greater
Fayetteville. She has brought
her experience and talent to
the children of Snyder Music
Academy’s summer camp,
and they, in turn, are sharing
it with the rest of us. She’s
written a children’s opera,
and while the performers
are kids, the show is sure to
dazzle young and old alike.
August 7-9, at the
Sol Rose Amphitheatre
at Campbellton Landing,
Snyder Music Academy
presents the east coast
premier of Tom Sawyer.
“This is a legitimate opera
production. It is an hour and a half long
— and it is for everybody. It is going to
be quite entertaining,” said Duke.
If you are thinking of Pavarotti type
performances though, stop right there.
This piece was written with young voices
in mind and is more about learning and
the musical experience, having a good
time and putting on a fun show than it is
about hitting and holding high notes.
“While we do try to use the
classical opera form, the music is
eclectic in style and I borrow from the
time period and location of the story so
Tom Sawyer has a lot of what I would
consider Mississippi fi ddle type music.
I used the blues and boogie woogie
and a little jazz because that is all from
America’s background and also just so
that the kids get a nice spectrum. I tried
to just incorporate all kinds of styles so
that they can learn as much as possible
— and it makes it more fun of course,”
Duke said.
Joy Cogswell, Snyder Music
Academy director, is delighted to share
Duke’s talent with the community and
is happy about the success of the camp
so far.
“I’m excited about it. We’ve got
some really talented kids and they all
seem to be really excited,” said Cogswell.
“This is something adults can enjoy
even if they don’t have kids to bring. It
will be light and refreshing.”
In addition to the performances, the
audience can get into the spirit of the
evening and take a riverboat ride before
the fun begins. From 5-7 p.m., Freddie
Mims of Cape Fear River Boats will be
offering rides for $5 a person.
There are food and beverages at
the amphitheatre and at Locks Creek{mosimage}
Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar, as well.
“Folks can come and have a meal,
take a riverboat ride and catch the
show,” said Cogswell. “They can just
make a night of it.”
And what better way to spend
a summer evening than enjoying a
delicious meal, a relaxing ride on the
river and an outstanding performance
under the stars in the fresh air?
The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets
are available online at www.snydermbc.
com or www.campbelltonlanding.com.
s well.
“In my family, growing up, it was
normal for Mother’s Day
or Father’s Day to give my
parents songs that we had
written or something like
that,” said Duke.
“I thought composing
was normal, that everybody
did it.”
Duke’s early start
in the musical arena has
turned out to be a great
boon for the folks of greater
Fayetteville. She has brought
her experience and talent to
the children of Snyder Music
Academy’s summer camp,
and they, in turn, are sharing
it with the rest of us. She’s
written a children’s opera,
and while the performers
are kids, the show is sure to
dazzle young and old alike.
August 7-9, at the
Sol Rose Amphitheatre
at Campbellton Landing,
Snyder Music Academy
presents the east coast
premier of Tom Sawyer.
“This is a legitimate opera
production. It is an hour and a half long
— and it is for everybody. It is going to
be quite entertaining,” said Duke.
If you are thinking of Pavarotti type
performances though, stop right there.
This piece was written with young voices
in mind and is more about learning and
the musical experience, having a good
time and putting on a fun show than it is
about hitting and holding high notes.
“While we do try to use the
classical opera form, the music is
eclectic in style and I borrow from the
time period and location of the story so
Tom Sawyer has a lot of what I would
consider Mississippi fi ddle type music.
I used the blues and boogie woogie
and a little jazz because that is all from
America’s background and also just so
that the kids get a nice spectrum. I tried
to just incorporate all kinds of styles so
that they can learn as much as possible
— and it makes it more fun of course,”
Duke said.
Joy Cogswell, Snyder Music
Academy director, is delighted to share
Duke’s talent with the community and
is happy about the success of the camp
so far.
“I’m excited about it. We’ve got
some really talented kids and they all
seem to be really excited,” said Cogswell.
“This is something adults can enjoy
even if they don’t have kids to bring. It
will be light and refreshing.”
In addition to the performances, the
audience can get into the spirit of the
evening and take a riverboat ride before
the fun begins. From 5-7 p.m., Freddie
Mims of Cape Fear River Boats will be
offering rides for $5 a person.
There are food and beverages at
the amphitheatre and at Locks Creek{mosimage}
Seafood Grill & Oyster Bar, as well.
“Folks can come and have a meal,
take a riverboat ride and catch the
show,” said Cogswell. “They can just
make a night of it.”
And what better way to spend
a summer evening than enjoying a
delicious meal, a relaxing ride on the
river and an outstanding performance
under the stars in the fresh air?
The show starts at 7:30 p.m. Tickets
are available online at www.snydermbc.
com or www.campbelltonlanding.com.