Our end of year project for 2011/2012 took the form of an ‘opera in a week’; Puccini’s La Boheme. The week long course, involving orchestra, cast and chorus, culminated in a concert performance of the opera at Warwick Arts Centre. Taking on one of the most difficult and best known operas in the repertoire proved a fantastic experience for all involved and the final performance was a great success.

La Boheme tells the story of a group of impoverished artists, struggling to make ends meet. On Christmas Eve, the poet Rodolfo meets and falls in love with Mimi, a seamstress living in the flat above. Shortly after, in a nearby cafe, the other lovers of the piece, Marcello and Musetta, are also reunited after Musetta decides to leave her wealthy partner and win back Marcello.

However, the couples’ happiness cannot last and before Spring arrives, a combination of jealousy and Mimi’s worsening illness have driven them apart, only to be reunited on Mimi’s deathbed.