This pack was written and compiled by Talia Lash at English Touring Opera with Tim Yealland (ETO) and
Naomi Chapman, Heather Lane and Naomi Boneham (Scott Polar Research Institute, University of
Cambridge). Cover image by Jude Munden.
We would like to thank Roderic Dunnett and the James Caird Society, Joseph Spence, Calista Lucy, Peter
Jolly, Richard Mayo and Simon Yiend at Dulwich College, John Blackborow, Sir James Perowne, Alexandra
Shackleton, Angela Montfort Bebb, Jim Mayer, Briony Gimson, Jim Mayer, Rebecca Moffatt, Steve
Hawkins and Tom Spickett.
Shackleton’s Cat Creative Team:
Composer
Russell Hepplewhite
Writer and Director
Tim Yealland
Designer
Jude Munden
ETO’s production of Shackleton’s Cat has been made possible thanks to the generous support of: through the Strategic Touring Fund
Austin and Hope Pilkington Trust
D’Oyly Carte Charitable Trust
Joyce Fletcher Charitable Trust
Lord and Lady Lurgan Trust
The Sackler Trust
And the 53 generous supporters who donated to this project through the Big Give Christmas
Challenge 2014
©
All rights reserved 2015

Photo   licensed   with   the   permission   of   the   Scott   Polar   Research   Institute,   University   of   Cambridge

Each   year,   English   Touring   Opera   commissions   and   produces   a   brand   new   opera   for   children,   which   tours   around   the   UK,   performing   in   school   halls   and   intimate   venues.
Shackleton’s   Cat   is   the   latest   in   a   line   of   operas   especially   created   for   children   in   primary   schools,   as   well   as   for   family   audiences.
This   strand   of   ETO’s   work   is   intended   very   much   to   stimulate   the   learning   of   young   people   we   work   with,   and   to   engage   with   them   on   many   different   levels.
We   see   these   pieces   as   a   real   opportunity   to   partner   with   schools,   and   to   encourage   an   expansive   view   of   the   interest   of   both   the   arts   and,   in
this   case,   history   and   geography.
We   are   thrilled   that   the   Scott   Polar   Research   Institute   have   contributed   their   expertise   and   resources   to   this   project,   and   hope   that   teachers   and   children   will   find   the   historical   information
and   classroom   activities   in   this   pack   both   informative   and   inspiring.
ETO   has   now   created   quite   a   number   of   operas   on   this   scale   (including   Borka:   the   goose   with   no   feathers   and   the   award ‐ winning   Laika   the   Spacedog )   so   it   is   fair   to   say   that   we   have   developed   a   house   style   for   them.
This   is   a   style   which   uses   music,   dialogue,   movement,   puppets,   design,   and   even   film   in   quite   a   free   way.
A   key   element   is   interaction:   the   audience   always   has   a   part   in   the   story ‐ telling   and   some   of   the   singing.
We   hope   the   pieces   we   make   are   quite   the   opposite   from   opera’s   awful   and   stuffy   reputation,   because   for   us   it   can   be   liberating,   fun   and   supremely
expressive.
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Images   from   Laika   the   Spacedog ,   2013,   and   Borka,   2014
Audience   participation   is   integral   to   the   show,   so   we   encourage   teachers   to   prepare   three   songs   with   your   children,   so   that   they   can   sing   them   with   us   during   the   performance.
The   words   and
music   are   supplied   in   this   pack,   along   with   a   CD   to   help   you   learn.
The   opera   itself   lasts   about   an   hour,   and   is   suitable   for   children   aged   7–11   years.
The   piece   and   this   pack   are   covered   by   copyright   and   all   rights   are   reserved.
We   look   forward   to   bringing   Shackleton’s   Cat   to   you   and   hope   you   enjoy   the   show!

Shackleton’s   Imperial   Trans ‐ Antarctic   ( Endurance)   Expedition   left   London   in   the   summer   of   1914.
His   plan   was   to   cross   Antarctica   from   the   Weddell   Sea   to   the   South   Pole   then   on   to   the   Ross   Sea.
This
across   Antarctica   is   1,800   miles.
Shackleton   named   his   ship   Endurance   after   his   family   motto
Vincimus’:   by   endurance   we   conquer.
On   board   were   all   the   supplies   that   they   would   need
their   expedition.
they   arrived   in   Antarctica,   winter   was
and   ice   was   beginning   to   form   on   top
the   sea.
Shackleton   tried   to   find   a   safe   place   to
anchor   but   it   was   too   late,   the   Endurance
trapped   in   the   sea   ice.
The   ice   was
and   it   was   taking   the   Endurance   with   it,
and   pulling   her   further   and   further   from
The   crew   unpacked   as   much   of   the
as   they   could   before   the   Endurance
crushed   by   ice.
They   then   watched   as   the
slowly   sank   to   the   bottom   of   the   sea.
Photo:   Frank   Hurley.
Licensed   with   the   permission   of   the   Scott   Polar   Research   Institute,   University   of   Cambridge

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Pulling three lifeboats full of equipment, the men walked across the ice looking for a safe place to set up camp. After four months camping on the ice, the ice began to break up, so the men got in to the lifeboats and headed towards the nearest land, Elephant Island. Everyone was overjoyed to have found land, fresh water and plenty of Elephant Seal meat to eat; many of the men were in a desperate state.
The problem was that they were still hundreds of miles from people who could help them. One of the lifeboats would need to go and get help.
Shackleton’s new plan was to sail 800 miles to South Georgia across some of the stormiest seas on the planet. For six men to make this journey in a small boat would be extremely dangerous, but as long as the sea was clear of ice and they had the wind behind them they stood a chance. They chose the largest lifeboat, the James Caird . McNish, the carpenter, spent the days before leaving making her more seaworthy. He made a cover for the boat from canvas sail material so that she wouldn’t fill up with water in the stormy seas. They packed rations for one month, raised the sail and rowed away from Elephant Island in the direction of
South Georgia.
South Georgia is an island only 100 miles long and 23 miles wide and it is 800 miles away from Elephant Island. If they missed South Georgia they would be lost in the vast Atlantic Ocean.
Shackleton’s Captain, Frank Worsley, was a brilliant navigator so he was in charge of sailing the James
Caird.
Meanwhile on Elephant Island the remaining men waited anxiously – would Shackleton ever return?
On board the James Caird , the next two weeks were ‘a daily struggle to keep (them)selves alive’ in gale force winds and huge waves. One man held the rudder and another the sail while a third baled water out of the little boat. Meanwhile the other three crawled into their soaking sleeping bags at the bottom of the boat among the rocks and sandbags. The men were so thirsty that their tongues swelled up.
Eventually South Georgia came into sight – stormy weather had carried them around the island to rocky shores. It took two days for them to land. It was now early winter and a range of mountains separated them from the whaling station on the south side of the island.
The journey had been extremely difficult and the men were now very weak. Three men were too ill to climb the mountains so camped in a cave on the beach. At 2 o’clock in the morning of Friday 19 th
May
1916 Shackleton, Worsley and Crean began the first ever crossing of South Georgia. By the light of a full moon they saw snow-slopes, high peaks and cliffs. A day later they staggered in to the whaling station, and could now start to save the other men stuck on Elephant Island. Again and again the stormy seas of the Southern Ocean stopped Shackleton from reaching Elephant Island. It was only on his fourth attempt that he was finally able to rescue the men on August 30 th
1916. Amazingly, all 28 men survived.

There were 28 men in Shackleton’s Endurance crew. Unfortunately we couldn’t include them all in our opera. The following key characters appear in Shackleton’s Cat to tell the story of what happened. The children in the audience play the rest of the crew.
Frank Worsley (1872–1943) was a sailor from New Zealand who served as the captain of the
Endurance under Shackleton. Famously he dreamt one night of icebergs floating down Burlington Street in London, and when he went to the street the next morning saw the sign for Shackleton’s expedition, and promptly signed up as ship’s captain. His navigational skills, particularly his use of the sextant, were incredible, and saved the men from certain death. On the James
Caird lifeboat he managed to find the island of South Georgia in the middle of the vast ocean, and with very few glimpses of the sun and the stars, the essential navigational aids. He served in the navy in the First World War, sinking a German submarine in
1917. He was known as Wuzzles .
Sir Ernest Shackleton (1874–1922) was an Irishman, brought up largely in south London, educated at Dulwich College, and known today as perhaps the greatest of all the polar explorers.
Known as The Boss , he led three British expeditions to the
Antarctic, and was knighted for his feats, which included reaching a point just 100 miles short of the pole, the furthest anyone had been in 1909. His greatest achievement was the rescue of all 28 men on the Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition, against all the odds. It is thought of as one of the greatest examples of leadership in history. He had problems with money at home, and never settled when he was not in the middle of an adventure. He died on South Georgia in 1922, at the beginning of a new expedition, and is buried there.
Frank Wild (1873–1939) was a Yorkshireman who went on five south polar expeditions and served with Captain Scott as well as with
Shackleton. Known as Frankie, he was second-in-command on the
Imperial Trans-Antarctic Expedition. He was left in charge of the men on Elephant Island when Shackleton took Worsley, McNish and a few others to get rescue from South Georgia. He had an exceptionally cool head and is remembered today as one of the greatest of the polar explorers, alongside Shackleton and Scott. He was with Shackleton in
South Georgia in 1922 when The Boss died. He served for the British in
Russia in the last years of the First World War, and subsequently became a farmer in Africa, where he died.
7

8
Harry   McNish   (1874   –1930),   sometimes   spelt   McNeish,     and   known   as
Chippy ,   was   the   carpenter   on   the   Imperial   Trans ‐ Antarctic   Expedition.
His   skills   became   essential   after   the   Endurance   broke   up   in   the   ice,   and   he   was   responsible   for   fitting   out   the   lifeboats   that   would   save   the   men   on   their   journey   to   Elephant   Island,   and   then   on   the   final   astonishing   journey   to   South   Georgia,   a   trip   he   was   part   of   along   with   only   five   others.
He   had   a   cat   called   Mrs   Chippy,   who   turned   out   to   be   a   boy   cat.
McNish   could   be   opinionated,   and   he   and   Shackleton   never   quite   got   on,   a   fact   that   is   perhaps   reflected   in   the   refusal   to   award   him   a   Polar   Medal.
He   died   in   New   Zealand,   penniless.
A   statue   of   the   cat   was   recently   added   to   his   grave.
McNish's   grandson
Tom,   who   lives   in   England,   was   delighted   about   this   and   felt   his   grandfather   would   have   been   pleased.
He   said:   “I   think   the   cat   was   more   important   to   him   than   the
Polar   Medal.”
Perce   Blackborow   (1896–1949)   was   from   Wales.
He   was   shipwrecked   as   a   very   young   man   –   along   with   his   friend   William   Bakewell   –   on   the   coast   of   Uruguay,   and   they   subsequently   travelled   to   Buenos   Aires   looking   for   a   job.
The   Endurance   was   in   the   port   and   they   both   tried   to   find   employment   as   members   of   the   crew.
Bakewell   was   successful,   but   Perce   was   too   young.
Perce   took   matters   into   his   own   hands   by   climbing   onboard   as   a   stowaway,   to   be   discovered   a   few   days   later   when   the   boat   was   already   at   sea.
He   was   put   to   work   in   the   kitchen,
and   was   good   enough   to   be   signed   on   as   a   member   of   the   crew,   becoming   ship’s   steward.
Well ‐ liked   and   with   an   easy ‐ going   manner   he   suffered   from   terrible   frostbite   and   gangrene,   and   had   some   of   his   toes   amputated   on   Elephant   Island,   an   operation   which   undoubtedly   saved   his   life.
Another   crew   member   described   his   reaction   to   the   operation:
“The   poor   beggar   behaved   splendidly   and   it   went   without   a   hitch…
When   Blackborow   came   to,   he   was   cheerful   as   anything   and   started   joking   directly.”
Photo   licensed   with   permission   of   Scott
Polar   Research   Institute,   University   of
Cambridge
Mrs   Chippy   was   the   tabby   cat   taken   on   board   the   Endurance   by   the   carpenter   Harry   McNish.
Carpenters   are   often   called   Chippy,   hence   the   name   given   to   the   cat.
It   was   a   month   into   the   voyage   when   Mrs   Chippy   was   discovered   to   be   a   boy   cat.
The   crew   loved   Mrs   Chippy   for   his   friendliness   and   his   character   (he   was   unafraid   of   the   dogs   on   deck)   and   for   his   ability   to   walk   along   the   ship's   inch ‐ wide   rails   in   even   the   roughest   seas.
After   the   ship   was   destroyed,
Shackleton   ordered   that   Mrs   Chippy   along   with   some   of   the   dogs   be   shot.
Shackleton   felt   that   it   was   impossible   to   feed   the   animals.
It   seems   that   McNish   felt   the   loss   so   badly   he   never   forgave   Shackleton,   and   that   this   event   led   to   some   friction   between   the   two   men.
In   2004   a   bronze   statue   of   the   cat   was   placed   on   McNish's   grave   in   New
Zealand.

In   our   production,   Mrs   Chippy   is   played   by   a   puppet,   handmade   by   our   designer,   Jude   Munden.
Here   are   some   pictures   of   her   creation   process.
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Although   they   do   not   feature   prominently   in   our   opera,   the   69   dogs   that   accompanied   the   men   on
the   Endurance   mission   were   essential   to   the   expedition.
Shackleton   had   originally   planned   to   bring   over   100   dogs,   and   these   were   shipped   over   from   Canada   and   arrived   at   Millwall   docks   in   London   on   14   July   1914.
They   were   mostly   mongrels   bred   with   huskies.
Their   job   on   the   expedition   was   to   pull   the   sledges   carrying   all   of   the   equipment   across   the   ice   to   the   South   Pole.
When   the   Endurance   got   trapped   in   the   ice   and   started   to   drift,   and   the   mission   couldn’t   continue,   the   dogs   helped   keep   the   men   occupied   and   entertained.
Shackleton   organised   six   sledging   teams,   and   the   men   and   their   dogs   would   race   each   other.
After   some   time   drifting,   it   became   clear   that   the   expedition   was   not   going   to   reach   the   South   Pole,   and   Shackleton   had   to   think   about   what   to   do   next.
The   dogs   were   eating   more   food   than   the   crew,   and   saving   the   men   became   the   priority.
Between   January   and   March   1916   all   the   dogs   were   shot,   in   order   to   preserve   rations   for   the   men.
Some   of   the   dogs   were   eaten   in   order   to   survive.
While   it   was   necessary   to   do   this,   the   men   were   sad   that   they   had   been   forced   to   end   the   dogs’   lives   in   this   way.
Frank   Hurley   wrote:    “ I   have   known   many   men   who   I   would   rather   have   shot,   than   these   dogs”.
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Some   of   the   dogs.
Photo   courtesy   of   the   James   Caird   Society
Names   of   66   of   the   dogs:
Alti
Amundsen
Dismal
Elliott
Blackie
Bob
Bo’sun
Bristol
Brownie
Buller
Fluff
Gruss
Hercules
Jamie
Hackenschmidt
Bummer
Caruso
Chips
Jasper
Jerry
Judge
Luke
Lupoid
Mack
Martin
Mercury
Noel
Paddy
Peter
Roger
Roy
Rufus
Rugby
Sadie
Sailor
Saint
Sally
Sammy
Samson
Sandy
Satan
Shakespeare
Side   Lights
Simian
Slippery   Neck
Slobbers
Snapper
Snowball
Soldier
Songster
Sooty
Spider
Split   Lip
Spotty
Steamer
Steward
Stumps
Sub
Sue
Surly
Swanker
Sweep
Tim
Upton
Wallaby
Wolf

7 Antarctica   is   at   the   bottom   of   our   planet   and   the
Arctic   is   at   the   top.
They   are   the   polar   areas   that   are   covered   in   snow   and   ice.
7 In   the   polar   regions,   the   sun   never   rises   for   half   of   the   year   and   for   the   next   half   year   it   never   sets.
Even   in   the   summer,   the   sun’s   rays   are   so   weak   that   it   never   warms   up   and   in   Antarctica   it   is   too   cold   for   trees   or   grass   to   grow.
Summer   in   the   Antarctic   is   during   the   winter   in   the   UK,   and   the   Antarctic   winter   is   during   our   summer.
7 Antarctica   is   the   coldest   place   on   the   planet   and   temperatures   often   get   down   to  ‐ 60°C.
At  ‐ 25°C   steel   becomes   brittle   and   at  ‐ 40°C   skin   that’s   unprotected   freezes.
7 Antarctica   is   a   huge   continent   much   bigger   than   the   USA   and   thousands   of   miles   from   the   UK.
The   seas   that   surround   Antarctica   freeze   in   the   winter   but   in   summer,   penguins,   gulls,   whales   and   seals   live   around   the   coast   diving   for   food   among   the   ice   floes.
Near   the   coast   are   huge   mountains,   and   beyond   the   mountains   is   a   high   polar   plateau   (large   flat   space).
On   the   plateau   it   is   so   cold   and   bleak   that   wild   animals   cannot   survive   there.
In   about   the   middle   of   the   plateau   is   an   area   called   the   South   Pole   and   these   days   a   few   people,   doing   scientific   work,   live   there.
In   1914   very   little   was   known   about   this   incredibly   harsh   yet   incredibly   beautiful   continent.
Only   a   few   people   get   to   visit   Antarctica   and   most   of
them   want   to   go   back.
7 About   99%   of   Antarctica   is   covered   with   a   huge   ice   sheet.
It   is   the   largest   single   mass   of   ice   on   Earth   and   is   bigger   than   the   whole   of   Europe.
The   ice   sheet   averages   2,450   metres   deep   and   holds   about   70%   of   the   world’s   fresh   water.
7 In   winter,   much   of   the   surrounding   ocean   freezes   over.
With   this   extra   winter   sea ‐ ice,   Antarctica   almost   doubles   in   size.
11

7 Antarctica   is   so   dazzlingly   white   because   of   the   snow,   it   is   possible   to   get   ice   blindness   from   looking   at   the   whiteness.
If   you   took   a   picture   with   flash   on   Antarctica   without   protecting   your   eyes,   you   would   be   blind   for   5 ‐ 6   minutes,   which   is   long   enough   to   freeze!
Shackleton’s   men   and   modern   explorers   in
Antarctica   have   to   make   sure   they   wear   goggles   to   protect   their   eyes.
The   goggles   the   men   on   Shackleton’s   expedition   wore.
Photo   courtesy   of   Scott   Polar   Research   Institute.
7 Although   it   is   one   of   the   coldest   regions   in   the   world,   there   is   an   abundance   of   wildlife   in   the
Antarctic   coastal   regions.
It   was   this   abundance   that   allowed   Shackleton’s   men   to   survive   for   so   many
months   on   the   ice,   eating   a   diet   of   penguins,   and   when   they   could   catch   them,   seals.
They   also   used   the   skins   as   fuel   for   their   stove.
Seals
Leopard Seal
Crabeater Seal
Fur Seal
Elephant Seal
Penguins
Emperor Penguin
Chinstrap Penguin
Adélie Penguin
Gentoo Penguin
Whales
Killer Whale
Humpback Whale
Finner Whale
Blue Whale
Other birds
Petrels
Albatrosses
Skuas

7 When   it   is   really   cold,   penguins   stand   on   their   heels   holding   their   toes   up.
They   use   their   tails   to   support   themselves   so   they   don’t   fall   over   backwards.
Their   stiff   tail   feathers   lose   no   heat,   so   the   penguins   have   as   little   of   their   bodies   touching   the   freezing   ice   as   possible.
7 Penguins   hunt   for   food   by   diving   underwater   and   swallowing   their   prey.
They   can   hold   their   breath   underwater   for   almost   20   minutes!
7 Penguin   poo   can   be   pink   or   orange   (as   they   mainly   eat   krill,   a   kind   of   shrimp,   which   is   pink),   and   you
can   see   it   from   space!
7 Pack ‐ ice   is   the   sea   ice   in   the   Arctic   and   Antarctic   regions.
Antarctica   is   a   solid   land   mass   surrounded   by   sea   which   freezes   into   pack ‐ ice   near   the   coast.
During   the   Antarctic   summer   months   of   December,
January   and   February   (our   winter   months)   the   pack ‐ ice   is   thin   enough   to   get   through   with   the   right   ship.
Sometimes   there   are   gaps   in   the   pack ‐ ice   called   ‘leads’   and   in   Shackleton’s   day   someone   would   climb   the   rigging   (a   net   made   from   rope)   to   the   crow’s   nest   (a   kind   of   balcony   high   on   the   ship’s   mast)   and   look   for   these   gaps.
It   was   like   looking   over   a   vast   jigsaw.
Where   there   were   no   gaps   ships   would   ram   the   pack   to   break   through.
If   the   pack   was   too   thick   to   get   through,   ships   became   trapped.
They   then   drifted   in   the   pack   which   slowly   moves   due   to   wind   and   currents   in   the   sea   beneath.
The   floes   (huge   slabs   of   floating   ice)   grind   against   each   other   and   the   wooden   ships   of   Shackleton’s   day   could   easily   be   crushed   between   them.
This   was   always   a   danger   in   the   dreaded   Weddell   Sea   which   is   in   a   bay   bigger   than
France.
The   pack   gets   trapped   in   the   bay   and   so   the   Weddell   Sea   fills   with   billions   of   tonnes   of   ice,   always   on   the   move   and   under   massive   pressure.
The   moving   pack   makes   weird,   scary   noises.
13

Why   did   you   want   to   write   an   opera   about   this   story?
It   is   now   100   years   since   the   famous   expedition.
If   Shackleton’s   journey   had   gone   according   to   plan,   and   if   he   and   his   men   had   succeeded   in   crossing   the   continent   from   sea   to   sea,   the   story   would   probably   be   forgotten   today.
It   is   the   fact   that   the   journey   turned   into   a   series   of   disasters   and   escapes   that   makes   it   so   compelling.
In   some   ways   it   is   the   most   remarkable   tale   of   survival   in   modern   history.
There   is   also   a   wealth   of   historical   detail   to   draw   on,   and   some   great   characters.
I   think   the   story   is   great   to   write   about   because   it   is   like   something   from   science   fiction,   with   the   humans   marooned   on   a   distant   planet,   without   communication,   and   cut   off   from   planet   Earth.
You   could   try   writing   your   own   story   about   characters   who   are   lost   and   who   have   to   find   their   way   back   home.
What’s   happened   to   them?
Where   do   they   go?
How   do   they   get   home?
Who   is   your   favourite   character   in   this   opera?
I   like   Harry   McNish   (also   known   as   McNeish),   one   of   the   oldest   in   the   crew,   the   ship's   carpenter,   and   the   owner   of   Mrs   Chippy   the   cat.
He   was   in   no   way   a   hero,   and   he   didn't   get   on   that   well   with
Shackleton.
But   it   was   McNish   who   made   the   little   dinghies   seaworthy,   and   he   prepared   the
James   Caird   lifeboat   for   the   final   journey.
He   was   one   of   the   few   men   Shackleton   trusted   enough   to   take   with   him   on   this   last   and   scariest   leg   of   the   voyage.
If   there   was   a   leak   Harry   would   fix   it.
It
seems   cruel   and   unjust   that   he   was   not   awarded   the   Polar   Medal.
How   is   an   opera   written?
What   do   you   start   with?
How   long   does   it   take?
.
You   have   to   begin   with   a   really   good   idea.
It   might   be   an   idea   that   seems   impossible   to   achieve,   but   you   need   something   that   is   strong   and   thrilling.
Then   the   librettist   (writer),   the   composer   and   the   designer   have   to   agree   that   the   idea   itself   is   a   strong   one.
The   next   stage   is   for   the   librettist   to   map   out   the   structure   of   the   story.
In   this   case   it   was   hard   because   we   needed   to   cram   a   story   lasting   2   years   into   an   opera   lasting   60   minutes.
Then   the   librettist   has   to   write   the   words   of   the   opera,   bearing   in   mind   that   the   words   will   be   sung.
Generally   there   are   about   5   drafts   of   the   libretto   or   script,   and   each   draft   is   sent   to   the   composer   to   look   at.
Finally   the   composer   starts   to   write   the   music.
Depending   on   the   number   of   instruments   in   the   orchestra   or   ensemble   the   composition   of   the   music   can   take   a   very   long   time.
Meanwhile   the   production   of   the   opera   (the   work   of   the   director   and   designer)   starts   to   develop.
In   all   it   takes   about   6   months   to   write   an   opera.
14
Designs   for   the   set   of   Shacketon’s   Cat ,   by   Jude   Munden

Before composing the music for Shackleton's Cat I imagined how
Antarctica would have looked and felt for Shackleton and his men. I pictured the terrifying seas, the endless sheets of ice, and I thought about the howling wind and bitter cold. I then tried to create these images in the music I composed so that the audience feel like they are in the Antarctic.
You can try this too. Find a picture of Antarctica and compose a piece of music to describe what you see. Which instruments will be most effective and how should they be played? Can you create contrast in the music as it goes along - perhaps adding different instruments?
Don't forget you can always use your voices as well - you could even make up some words to sing as part of your piece. Can you help the listener imagine the picture you have been looking at?
Russell Hepplewhite, composer
Photos:   Rebecca   Moffatt

Fact
The   planned   route   for   the   expedition   was:   Weddell   Sea   to   South   Pole,   South   Pole   to   Ross
Island.
Tasks
Curriculum   links
Draw   the   planned   route   on   a   map:   What   do   you   think   the   main   potential   problems   could   be?
Draw   the   actual   route   on   a   world   map:   London,   Chile,   South   Georgia,   Weddell   Sea,
Elephant   Island,   South   Georgia.
Compare   the   two.
Geography:   location   and   place
Maths:   measurement,   addition   and   subtraction
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Fact
Task
Shackleton,   Worsley   and   Crean   were   the   first   men   to   cross   the   mountains   of   South   Georgia.
Afterwards   they   recorded   their   route.
Think   about   a   journey   you   have   made.
Draw   a   map   to   explain   to   others   how   you   got   there.
It   can   be   a   journey   you   made   to   go   on   holiday,   your   route   from   home   to   school,   or   even   from   your   classroom   to   somewhere   else   in   the   school.
Geography:   mapping,   location,   place
Curriculum   links
Fact
Tasks
Curriculum   links
Many   geographical   features   on   Antarctica   were   named   after   the   explorers   who   went   there
–   not   just   from   Shackleton’s   expedition,   but   also   from   Scott’s   and   Amundsen’s,   explorers
who   also   visited   the   region.
Look   at   a   map   of   Antarctica   and   find   the   places   named   after   explorers.
Can   you   think   of   any   other   places   named   after   people?
Looking   at   a   map   of   your   local   area,   can   you   find   any
streets   or   places   named   after   people?
Draw   a   map   of   your   local   area,   an   area   you   know   well,   or   an   island   of   your   imagination.
Rename   or   name   geographical   features   after   people   who   are   important   to   you.
Why   have
you   named   each   place   as   you   have?
Art:   making   art
Geography:   reading   and   creating   maps
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Fact
Tasks
Curriculum   links
“Some   of   us   had   presents   from   home   to   open.
Later   there   was   a   really   splendid   dinner…Christmas   pudding,   mince ‐ pies,   dates,   figs,   and   crystallized   fruits...In
the   evening   everybody   joined   in   sing ‐ song.
Hussey   had   made   a   one ‐ stringed   violin.”   –   quote   from
Shackleton’s   account   of   the   voyage.
Sailors   frequently   made   up   their   own   words   to   be   sung   with   well   known   tunes.
Write   your   own   sea   shanty   using   this   method.
Write   it   out   with   the   tune.
Have   a   class   sing ‐ along.
Make   a   musical   instrument   using   an   everyday   object   then   use   it   to   accompany   a   song.
Music:   composition,   understanding   how   music   is   put   together,   singing,   playing   an   instrument
Science:   sound
Design   Technology:   design   and   make   an   instrument   using   an   everyday   object
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Fact
Task
Shackleton   describes   the   sound   of   the   ice   as   it   freezes   around   the   ship   and   begins   to   crush   the   wooden   frame.
“We   heard   tapping   as   from   a   hammer,   grunts,   groans   and   squeaks,   and   electric   trams   running,   birds   singing,   kettles   boiling   noisily,   and   the   occasional   swish…   I   could   hear   the
creaking   and   groaning   of   her   timbers.”
Compose   your   own   piece   of   music   to   describe   the   crushing   of   Shackleton’s   ship,   the
Endurance .
You   can   use   instruments   you   have   made,   objects   around   the   room,   your   voices,   or   any   instruments   the   school   might   have.
What   does   the   world   sound   like   in   your   everyday   life?
Can   you   create   a   musical
composition   based   on   this?
Music:   composition
Curriculum   links
Fact
Task
Frank   Hurley,   from   Australia,   was   the   expedition   photographer.
He   photographed   daily   life.
Hurley   was   always   ready   with   his   camera,   even   in   the   toughest   conditions.
Without   Hurley’s   photos,   this   story   wouldn’t   have   been   believed.
In   those   days   photos   were   developed   on   heavy   glass   plates.
Hurley   realised   that   he   couldn’t
take   all   his   wonderful   photos   with   him   as   they   were   too   heavy   to   carry.
He   picked   out   the   best   ones   and   smashed   the   others   –   it   was   the   only   way   he   could   leave   them.
Record   everyday   life   with   a   series   of   photographs.
Edit   your   photos;   if   you   could   only   keep   three,   which   would   be   the   best   ones   to   save?
Art:   recording   experiences,   becoming   proficient   in   art   techniques
Curriculum   links
Fact
Tasks
Curriculum   links
Shackleton   had   taken   a   large   wooden   hut   to   Antarctica   in   pieces   to   put   together   there   –   like   flat   pack   furniture.
This   is   where   some   of   the   men   would   spend   the   winter.
Time   was
beginning   to   run   out   and   soon   the   winter   would   be   upon   them.
As   a   group,   follow   some   instructions   to   build   something   flat   packed,   or   from   lego.
How   easy   were   the   instructions   to   follow?
Write   some   instructions   for   a   friend   to   follow.
English:   Spoken   word,   instructional   text
Design   and   Technology:   evaluation   of   product

Fact
When   Shackleton   was   looking   for   men   to   go   on   the   expedition   he   put   an   advert   in   a   newspaper   in   1912   (this   picture   is   a   reproduction):
Tasks
Curriculum   links
Would   you   have   wanted   to   go   on   the   expedition,   based   on   this   advert?
Thousands   of   men   and   several   women   came   forward   and   they   must   have   been   amazing   people   to   be   willing   to   face   such   a   challenge.
The   final   crew   of   28   included   men   that   had   been   on   Captain   Scott’s
last   expedition   a   few   years   before.
There   were   scientists,   doctors,   engineers,   and   of   course   sailors.
Advert :   you   need   people   to   go   on   an   expedition,   decide   what   sort   of   people   you   are   looking   for   then   write   and   illustrate   an   advert   to   recruit   people.
Respond ,   by   letter   to   somebody   else’s   advert,   or   to   Shackleton’s.
Why   should   you   be   taken   on   the   expedition?
See   an   example   of   a   real   letter   on   the   next   page.
Sift:   read   someone   else’s   letter,   would   you   interview   this   person?
Interview:   write   questions,   then   interview   candidates   for   the   expedition.
English:   Vocabulary,   handwriting,   spoken   word,   persuasive   text,   advertising,   letter   writing,   questioning,   use   of   formal   language
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Extract   from   letter   to   Shackleton,   photo   courtesy   of   Scott   Polar   Research   Institute,   University   of
Cambridge.
Full   transcript   reads:
Dear Sir Ernest,
We “three sporty girls” have decided to write and beg of you to take us with you on your expedition to the
South Pole. We are three strong, healthy girls, and also gay and bright, and willing to undergo any hardships that you yourselves undergo.
If our feminine garb is inconvenient, we should just love to don masculine attire. We have been reading all books and articles that have been written on dangerous expeditions by brave men to the Polar regions, and we do not see why men should have all the glory, and women none, especially when there are women just as brave and capable as there are men.
Trusting you will think over our suggestion, we are Peggy Pegrine, Valerie Davey, Betty Webster.
P.S. We have not given any further particulars, in case you should not have time to read this, but if you are at all interested, we will write and tell you more about our greatest wish.

Fact
Task
Curriculum   links
After   the   men   returned   from   the   expedition,   most   of   them   were   awarded   the   Polar   Medal   – but   not   Harry   McNish.
It   is   said   that   this   might   have   been   because   of   Shackleton’s   personal   dislike   for   him,   even   though   no   one   could   deny   his   skills   in   shipbuilding.
He   was   never   seen   to   take   measurements,   producing   perfect   work   by   eye.
“I   was   disheartened   to   learn   that   McNish…   had   been   denied   the   Polar   Medal...of
all   the   men   in   the
party   no ‐ one   more   deserved   recognition   than   the   old   carpenter....I
would   regard   the   withholding   of   the   Polar   Medal   from   McNish   as   a   grave   injustice.”   –    Alexander   Macklin,   one   of   the   other   men   in   the   crew
Do   you   think   it   is   right   that   McNish   did   not   receive   a   medal?
Why/why   not?
Write   a   letter   to   the   Queen   to   explain   your   opinions,   either   to   persuade   her   to   award
McNish   the   medal   posthumously   (after   death),   or   in
support   that   he   did   not   receive   it.
English:   Vocabulary,   handwriting,   spoken   word,   persuasive   text,   letter   writing,   use   of   formal   language
Fact
Task
Curriculum   links
10   months   earlier,   Shackleton   had   missed   the   chance   of   sheltering   the   Endurance   in   Glacier
Bay   safely   away   from   the   sea   ice.
He   knew   this   was   a   mistake,   and   later   regretted   it.
Discussion:   What   have   you   regretted?
Why?
What   would   you   have   changed?
English:   spoken   word
Fact
Task
Curriculum   links
Shackleton   had   been   preparing   for   this   disaster   through   the   winter,   as   it   became   clear   that   the   ship   would   be   destroyed.
The   crew   had   taken   everything   needed   to   camp   on   the   ice
floes   off   the   ship   before   she   was   crushed.
What   would   you   take   off   the   ship?
Why?
If   you   had   to   put   together   a   survival   kit   from   the   things   in   your   home,   what   would   you   take   and   why?
Make   a   poster   of   your   survival   kit,   with   drawings   or   a   collage,   and   explanations   for   each   item.
Art,   Design:   Making   and   evaluating
English:   justifying   decisions,   critical   thinking
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Fact
Lots   of   Shackleton’s   men   wrote   diaries.
Tasks
Curriculum   links
Shackleton’s   diary,   photo   courtesy   of   Scott   Polar   Research   Institute
Keep   a   diary   to   record   your   life   over   the   next   week.
Imagine   that   you   are   one   of   Shackleton’s   men,   record   what’s   happening   and   how   you   feel
English:   recount,   diary   writing,   composition,   handwriting
Fact   McNish,   the   carpenter,   spent   the   days   before   leaving   making   the   James   Caird   lifeboat   more   seaworthy.
He   made   a   cover   for   the   boat   from   canvas   sail   material   so   that   she   wouldn’t   fill
up   with   water   in   the   stormy   seas.
Tasks
Curriculum   links
Experiment:   use   everyday   objects   to   test   for   waterproofness:   plastic   bags,   fat,   different   fabrics,   etc.
Record   and   share   your   results.
What   is   the   most   waterproof   material?
Experiment:   using   a   takeaway   container   punched   with   holes,   can   you   keep   it   floating   on
water   by   waterproofing   it?
(Clue:   in   1915,   McNish   used   seal   blubber   and   oil   paint)
Science:   properties   and   changes   of   materials,   working   scientifically,   uses   of   everyday   objects

Fact
Tasks
Curriculum   links
Shackleton   understood   the   importance   of   good   morale   (feeling   contented,   happy   and   cheerful).
He   allowed   each   man   to   keep   about   2   pounds   in   weight   (about   1kg)   of   their   own
belongings,   rather   than   just   keeping   essential   items.
Discussion:   what   cheers   you   up?
Why?
Plan :   make   up   a   bag   of   personal   belongings   that   cheer   you   up,   weigh   it   to   make   sure   that   it
is   less   than   1kg.
Maths:   measurement,   addition,   subtraction
English:   spoken   word,   discussion
Fact
Tasks
Curriculum   links
Antarctica   is   the   coldest   and   windiest   place   on   the   planet.
Explorers   frequently   tested   out   new   clothing   to   keep   them   warm,   including   string   vests!
They   also   adapted   the   clothing
they   had   to   maximise   the   retention   of   heat,   to   stop   them   from   getting   cold.
Experiment:   test   different   pieces   of   clothing   to   find   out   which   is   warmest,   e.g.
mittens   or   gloves
Experiment:   test   multiple   thin   layers,   thick   layer,   different   types   of   fabric   etc.
Task:   how   would   you   adapt   your   school   uniform   to   make   it   as   warm   as   possible?
Describe
and   draw   your   Antarctic   school   uniform.
Science:   properties   and   changes   of   materials,   working   scientifically,   animals   including   humans,   uses   of   everyday   objects
Portrait   of   Sir   Ernest   Shackleton   (photo   courtesy   of   Scott
Polar   Research   Institute,   University   of   Cambridge).
Look   at   what   he   is   wearing   and   discuss   how   his   clothing   has   been   designed   to   keep   him   warm.
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Fact
Tasks
Curriculum   links
The   men   played   hockey   and   football   on   the   ice   floes   and   in   the   evenings   they   had   rowdy   concerts.
Endurance   was   like   an   island   of   cheerfulness   in   strange   contrast   with   the   cold,
silent   world   that   lay   outside.
Plan   some   group   games   so   that   everybody   takes   part.
The   aim   is   to   have   fun,   keep   warm   and   keep   morale   high.
Did   you   have   to   change   the   way   you   played   the   game   in   order   to   keep   everybody   happy?
Why   would   this   have   been   important?
Physical   Education:   keeping   fit,   teamwork
Fact
Tasks
Curriculum   links
Male   Emperor   penguins   protect   their   egg   by   balancing   it   on   their   feet.
The   penguins   have   to   keep   moving   in   order   to   keep
themselves,   and   the   egg,   warm.
Invent   a   game:   using   bean   bags   as   eggs,   balance   the   egg   on   your   feet,   keep   moving   and   don’t   let   the   egg   fall   off.
Now   work   as   a   team   and   turn   this   activity   into   a   game   with   rules.
Physical   Education:   team   work,   keeping   fit,   balancing,   game   rules
English:   instructional   text
Fact
Tasks
Curriculum   links
Shackleton’s   men   saved   the   Encyclopaedia   Britannica   from   the   Endurance   before   it   sank.
They   used   to   read   it,   test   their   general   knowledge   and   also   tear   out   pages   to   use   as   toilet
paper!
We   mostly   use   items   for   one   purpose,   but   in   a   survival   situation,   a   small   number   of   items   would   have   to   be   used   for   many   things.
Choose   an   everyday   object   (brick,   pencil,   paperclip,   bucket),   list   as   many   different   ways   to   use   it   as   you   can   think   of.
Who   can   think   of   the   most   uses?
Design   Technology:   planning,   design,   lateral   thinking

Fact Shackleton knew that sooner or later the ice would melt and they would have to make a boat journey. This is when they would eat the sledging rations that were going to be used when crossing Antarctica. Meanwhile they would eat hooch - a stew made from a mixture of dried meat, fat and cereal, together with ground biscuit and any fresh meat that could be found, along with water (from melted snow). This was the standard fare of the Shackleton expedition when they lived on the ice. Later on their food was even more basic and consisted of penguin and sometimes seal meat. The men would eat almost every part of the animals they killed, wasting nothing, and using the rest as fuel.
One man wrote: “The dried vegetables…all go into the same pot as the meat, and every dish is a sort of hash or stew, be it ham or seal-meat or half and half…The milk-powder and sugar…boiled with the tea or cocoa.”
Task
Curriculum links
Food provisions on the Endurance
Photo Talia Lash, taken at the Polar Museum at Scott Polar Research Institute
In a small group, with adult supervision, use a primus or camping stove to heat water and make a hot drink or soup.
Using a selection of foods, decide what you could take to the Antarctic and what couldn’t be taken (you could experiment by freezing different foods).
Plan a polar meal.
Design Technology: cooking
Science: plants, living things, temperature, states
That’s my motto
Fact
Tasks
Shackleton named his ship Endurance after his family motto ‘Fortitudine Vincimus’, which is
Latin for ‘by endurance we conquer’. A motto is a short phrase that sums up the aims or beliefs of a group or individual.
Discussion: What would your family motto be? Does your school have a motto? What would be the motto of your class? In groups, decide on the best motto for your class, and write the reasons why you have chosen this.
Present your motto and reasons to the class. You could have a vote to decide on the class’s new motto.
Draw a poster or coat of arms to illustrate your motto
English: Vocabulary, handwriting, spoken word, persuasive text Curriculum links
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Russell Hepplewhite – Composer
Russell studied at Chetham’s School of Music in Manchester and subsequently at the Royal College of Music, where he was awarded a scholarship to study piano with Head of Keyboards Andrew Ball and composition with Timothy Salter.
Russell's music has been performed by distinguished musicians at major venues including the Wigmore Hall, the Library Theatre
Luton, the Purcell Room and the Queen Elizabeth Hall. Russell has also had musicals developed at the National Theatre Studio and performed in the Sheffield Crucible
Theatre. Recent performances have included a number of UK and overseas performances and premieres of Russell's work, with venues including Glyndebourne, Snape Maltings and Kings Place
London. Laika the Spacedog, commissioned by English Touring Opera, was awarded the David
Bedford Award and was featured on the BBC before receiving its premiere at London’s Science
Museum in 2013 and embarking on a nationwide tour of the UK. It was also performed at the
Armel Opera Festival in Hungary and in Avignon, France.
In addition to his composition and performing schedule as a pianist, Russell is an examiner for the
Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and teaches Musicianship and Composition at the
Royal College of Music Junior Department.
Tim Yealland – Writer, Director and Head of Education at English Touring Opera
Tim read English at Cambridge University, and then studied singing at the Guildhall School of Music in London, and at the Hochschule für Musik in Munich. As a singer and actor he performed roles for
English Touring Opera (including the title role in Don Giovanni),
Opera Factory, Opera 80, Opera North, English National Opera and the Chichester Festival.
For many years he has been active as a director working particularly in the community. He has created projects for all the leading opera companies and many orchestras, including the Royal
Opera House, Glyndebourne, English National Opera, Opera North, and the London Symphony Orchestra. Tim also directs ETO’s outreach programme. He directed
Fantastic Mr Fox for ETO in 2011, and also created a book called Foxtales . Large community projects with ETO have included One Breath in Sheffield, A House on the Moon in Wolverhampton, and the award-winning One Day Two Dawns in Cornwall. He works regularly at the Casa da Música in Portugal, most recently devising Spirit Level , a large-scale piece with actors, dancers and musicians. As a writer he has created the words for and directed many operas for young people and families including recently In the Belly of the Horse , Voithia, The Feathered Ogre, Laika the
Spacedog, Borka and Spin. Last year he helped create two new community operas: Zeppelin
Dreams in Wolverhampton and Curado in Porto. Apart from Shackleton's Cat he is currently working on a new opera called Waxwings for young people with special needs.

Jude Munden – Designer
A Fine Art graduate from Falmouth College of Art, Jude was a teacher before becoming a full time maker/designer. She makes costumes, props, puppets, scenic art and models for film, theatre and exhibition, working from a barge on the Penryn River that she shares with her set builder husband, Alan.
She has been working with ETO since One Day Two Dawns in 2009 on projects including Under the Hill , Severn Stories, In the Belly of the Horse ,
Spirit Level , The Fox and the Moon, La Clemenza di Tito, Laika the
Spacedog and Borka . Jude also works with Miracle Theatre in Cornwall and is a founder member of Pipeline Theatre.
Jude has three children and lives in Falmouth, Cornwall.
Matt Ward – McNish
This year for English Touring Opera Matt will perform Giacomo L’Assedio di Calais . Last year for ETO Western Union Boy in the Olivier Award
Winning production of Paul Bunyan , Cpt McAllister Borka, Young Guard
(cover) King Priam and Monostatos (cover) Magic Flute. Matt studied at the Royal College of Music supported by the RCM Yvonne Wells Award.
Roles at RCM: Arnalta in L’Incoronazione di Poppea , Frick in La Vie
Parisienne and Don Curzio in Le Nozze di Figaro . For the West Australian
Opera Company Matt performed Mercury Orpheus in the Underworld and The Rector (cover) Peter Grimes.
Andrew Glover – McNish
New Zealander Andrew Glover made his operatic début with New Zealand
Opera, where he performed Beppe I Pagliacci and Vasek The Bartered Bride, and Sellem The Rake’s Progress with the Auckland Philharmonia Orchestra.
He has sung a number of roles with English Touring Opera - Monsieur Triquet
Eugene Onegin, Gherardo Gianni Schicchi , Giovanni L’Assedio di Calais , and
Tinca Il tabarro . He has also performed Lysander A Midsummer Night’s
Dream for Opera North, and Remendado Carmen , Don Curzio/Don Basilio The
Marriage of Figaro and Beppe I pagliacci for Opera Holland Park.
He has sung concerts with the Tokyo Philharmonic Orchestra, New Zealand Symphony
Orchestra, Auckland Chamber Orchestra, Christchurch Symphony Orchestra and the Perth Orchestra.
Dominic Walsh – Wild
Dominic’s professional debut at the age of 26 was as Ferrando in Così fan Tutte for Opera Queensland in 2011. The following year, he played Nanki-poo in The
Mikado . He is a Guildhall Artist Masters Graduate from the Guildhall School of
Music and Drama and completed a BMus(Perf) at the Queensland
Conservatorium.
Dominic’s awards include the Chairman’s Prize and the Concert Recital
Diploma from the Guildhall School and scholarships from the Guildhall School
Trust, the Ian Potter Cultural Trust, the Australia Council, and the Australia
Music Foundation’s Guy Parsons Award. In 2014, Dominic covered the
Schoolmaster in Cunning Little Vixen for Garsington Opera.
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Michael Butchard – Wild
Michael grew up in the Blue Mountains west of Sydney, Australia.
Born into a musical family, he learned piano, saxophone and oboe, but his favourite thing was singing. He studied at the University of Sydney, and the
Sydney Conservatorium of Music, and in 2011 he moved to London, with his wife Bonnie, to study at the Royal College of Music. Since then, he has sung with many choirs and opera companies in the UK and hopes to work in Germany in the future. Besides his passion for opera, in his free time Michael bakes bread, brews beer, roasts coffee and loves to potter in his veggie garden.
Jan Capinski – Worsley
Jan was born in Kraków, Poland, where he studied before moving to the UK in
2009. He trained at the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama and ENO Opera
Works, and has sung roles with Mid Wales Opera, Garsington Opera, Scottish
Opera, British Youth Opera, and several smaller companies. Outside singing he is a keen blogger, stand-up-paddleboarder, as well as a freelance recording engineer. To find out more about Jan, feel free to visit www.capinski.com
Jamie Rock – Worsley
Irish baritone Jamie is equally at home in opera, concert and recital repertoire. In 2015, Jamie is making his debut with ETO, performing in the chorus of all three evening operas and Shackleton’s Cat as well as covering principal roles in La Bohème and L'Assedio di Calais . Recent performances include Masetto in Don Giovanni for Regent’s Opera and covering Filip Burgrave in Dvorak’s Jacobin for Buxton Festival Opera. In concert, Jamie has performed the Requiems of Mozart, Brahms, Duruflé and Fauré; Haydn’s Creation and Handel’s Messiah at venues such as the
Usher Hall (Edinburgh), National Concert Hall (Dublin), and Salzburg
Cathedral. He’s also a member of the vocal ensemble Quartet , who explore a wide range of music and look for new ways of presenting the vocal repertoire.
Gareth Brynmor John – Shackleton
Winner of the 2013 Kathleen Ferrier Award, baritone Gareth held a choral scholarship at St John’s College, Cambridge, before studying at the Royal Academy of Music. He won the RAM Patrons' Award and was awarded the WCoM Silver Medal and an Independent Opera
Postgraduate Voice Fellowship. His operatic roles include Eugene
Onegin and Claudio (with Sir Colin Davis), and he recently understudied several roles for WNO. Recent recitals have included King's Place, King's Lynn
Festival, and Leeds Lieder. He performs in the London English Song Festival, recently giving a programme of Great War composers at St George's Hanover Square. He recorded Mahler Lieder eines fahrenden gesellen with Trevor Pinnock and the RAM Soloists Ensemble for release with Linn
Records.

Ashley Mercer – Shackleton
Born and raised in Essex, Ashley's interest in singing began at school where he was a member of the school choir, and later as a member of the National Youth
Choir. At university he performed in, directed and conducted a number of musicals and operettas, and afterwards continued performing with amateur groups in London. He recently decided to study singing more formally and last year completed a Masters at the Trinity Laban Conservatoire where he was a
TCM Trust Scholar and a Kathleen Roberts Scholar, and was awarded the Paul
Simm opera prize. Recent work includes Silent Night (European premiere) for
Wexford Festival Opera, and Il barbiere di Siviglia for Opera Holland Park, where he was a Christine Collins Young Artist.
Dafydd Hall Williams – Staff Director, Blackborow
Dafydd is from a small town in North Wales called Llangollen. Since finishing his training at Aberystwyth University, Dafydd has worked as an assistant director for companies like Buxton Opera Festival, Mid Wales Opera, The
Royal Academy of Music, Wexford Festival Opera and English Touring Opera.
One of the most fun things Dafydd has ever done was play the part of Archie the Goose in the ETO Spring 2014 tour of Borka, the Goose with no Feathers .
After this tour, Dafydd will be directing a set of Opera Scenes at Guildhall
School of Music and Drama.
Kate Jones – Stage Manager
Kate recently graduated from the Liverpool Institute for Performing Arts, where she studied Theatre and Performance Technology. Her love of opera stems from a placement with Norwegian company Opera Ostfold, and a background in musical theatre. Her past opera credits include
Lighting Designer for For Lenge, Lenge, Lenge Siden, performed at the
Festival of Music for Winds and Percussion in Fredrikstad, Assistant Stage
Manager for Liverpool Philharmonic’s Tosca and Assistant Production
Manager for Opera Ostfold’s production of Nabucco. This summer she will return to Opera Ostfold for their production of Tosca.
James Henshaw – Conductor, Keyboard
James Henshaw is a promising young conductor. He studied Music at Clare College, Cambridge where he was a choral scholar and award-winner as both conductor and pianist. Having graduated with a Distinction in Repetiteuring from the Guildhall School of
Music and Drama, he recently assisted on Owen Wingrave at the
Photo: Clare Park
Aldeburgh Music Festival and then at the Edinburgh Festival as well as recently working at the Proms with the BBC National Orchestra of Wales.
Recent concerts have included Brahms and Mozart Requiems and performances ranging from John Adams to Mozart. Over the coming year he will continue to work with his orchestra based in Notting Hill and Ashtead
Choral Society.
29

30
Jonathan Hassan – French Horn
Jonathan was born in Reading a long time ago. He started the horn aged ten and, after studying at The Royal College of Music, has worked as a freelance player and teacher, a brilliant job that has taken him all over the world, from
South America to Europe and Asia. He has also played in many West End shows including Shrek and West Side Story .
With his teaching hat on he loves helping children achieve their musical potential on the horn and trumpet. He also regularly visits schools to perform
Jurassic to Jazz , an interactive show tracing the history of brass instruments.
Jonathan Raper – Percussion
Having developed a passion for all things percussion at school, Jonny went on to study music at Trinity College of Music in London. He has played in a wide variety of musical genres from rock to baroque, and has been required to play all manner of instruments from tubular bells to coconut shells. Jonny is passionate about bringing classical music into schools, and hopes that it will enrich the lives of young learners as it has done his own. He has performed in school education projects for such institutions as the English National Ballet, Philharmonia
Orchestra and O Duo as well as having been with English Touring Opera for a number of years.
As well as some of the instruments above, you will also see and hear a theremin being played in the show. The theremin is an electronic instrument invented by Leon Theremin in 1928. It is played by moving your hands in the space near the metal rod. One hand controls pitch and the other controls volume. It is one of the only instruments you play without touching it! The theremin’s eerie sound has made it popular in science fiction soundtracks, though it is also heard in other types of music, especially in psychedelic rock. You will also hear our specially made wind machine!

Please   learn   these   songs   in   advance   of   our   performance   and   join   in   during   the   show.
The   singers   might   not   prompt   the   children,   so   please   join   in   as   soon   as   you   recognise   the   music!
The   tracks   are   all   on   the   CD   sent   with   the   pack,   or   on   ETO’s   website.
Children   should   learn   the   melody   sung   by   the
female   voice,   not   the   male   voice.
‐
31

Lyrics by
Tim Yealland
Piano
 q
= 100
Heroic
          
 mf
 
Music by
Russell Hepplewhite


Pno.
3



         ff
 



 


 



3






3
  




 


































Children
6




Pno.
 




 ff





  





Stand
   
ing
   on the deck of a boat
3
    south



 










 

Children
Pno.
8

 




















   on
    the rails

  as we



3


 f














       







 


Children
11

Pno.

 




3
     make for the sea
     


           
 
Wait ing
 to meet the pack made of ice that's
           
















Children
13




   




 and blue.
   
Pno.








 







   not to think a bout
       


 
  







Children
Pno.
15
   
What will ha ppen when we do
        



  

  









  
Lar sen's boat

 
    last of its kind..
        

         
Pno.
17

 f
 cresc.
    
    
 ff



 
 











Pno.
20
3
   











































Children
22


Pno.


 




 ff



    






    for
 the land



 


 


 
 be yond

 

  the Sea




Children
24

Pno.


 
  
Wait ing for f









   

 

 

 



  
3



 mf

  



 
    the sight


 

 


Children
26
 
 of
Pno.
        












 





 the far

 




3
   
Po lar shore
   

   




Children
28




      you don't
    

   
3
   fall in, in two min utes
      
Pno.
 


















   
 you'll



 be dead
   

 
 
 









Children
Pno.
30
   
Try ing not
        



 to think a bout
 






  
What will ha

   
ppen in the end.
       
  





 




Children
Pno.
32

 
   boat
  last of
    its kind.
       

 f

                      

Lyrics by
Tim Yealland
Piano







Music by
Russell Hepplewhite
McNISH (not children)
 3
Fif -
 ty
  days at sea

   
 and now we're stuck.



        mf

Pno.
3




  f
    like an
   al mond
  in a
    cho colate bar.


5

 q
= 110
Forceful

Pno.

 f
  
  
   

+ CHILDREN
   
Stuck
 fast
  
  





 
   

 stuck in the ice



  

 
3
    
 
Pno.
8




3
   

Stuck in the sea
 




 
3  we'll nev
 
 
3
  
er get free



3
    
 of the
 ice

 
 




 





 


 





14



Pno.

Pno.
10



 
 








 
 


Ice bergs




3
  
3
  and hump



backs

 





  finn ers

 
3
    and blues,



3
 the

 
12



 kill



Pno.


 
-

3 er
 whales,
 kings



3
 and




 long



-

3 tailed

 
 gen -
  toos.




 
Pno.
13


Gap here as scene continues here.



  
   

Stuck
 


   fast
  
  

 
 
  
 3
     stuck in the ice







 






Pno.
17


 
3
  


Stuck in the sea
 



3  we'll nev




-
3
   er get free



3
   of the
 

 ice




 



  
 

 
 
Pno.
19




20





Pno.
 

  

Stuck
 
   




   fast
  
  



 

 3
     stuck in the ice


    






 



 



Pno.
23




Stuck

3 in
 the



 sea


 

 
3  we'll nev




3
  
er get
 
  free

 
3
   of the



24


 

 ice


Pno.
 


 
 

 
 
 


 
  

 
 










3
   
ers, furs
3

3
    and el e phant seals,
3

 

 

 
 the














27

 em
 
3
pe
 
 
-
Pno.


 
 rors,
3
   and chin



straps





 
 ad

 
3
e

-


 lies.


 


Lyrics by
Tim Yealland
Piano

Full of macho power. f
    





 
   
 
   

 

Music by
Russell Hepplewhite
    
    
Children


5


   
For ty six
 miles
Pno.




 



 takes

    on ly a while



 


    then three



 more




 to
Children


8




Pau -
 

  let Isle.
 

Pno.
 

   
Let's tra vel
 in style


           
4:3
4:3
4:3
 
4:3
   



       
4:3
4:3

Children
Pno.


12
 

  to Pau

     
 
4:3
-
   let Isle.
      


 
 
       

Children
17



Pno.


 f


   
For ty six miles
  







 takes
Children
20



Pno.


Pau
  

-
  let Isle.


 

 


  

    on


-
Let's tra vel ly
4:3 a while
    in style

    

 



 then

 three
 





  
4:3
      
4:3
 more





 to
   
4:3

Children
23


  
Pno.
 
        
4:3
4:3

Children
27


 
  
   to Pau
  
let Isle.
4:3
   

4:3
    
 f





   
Pno.
      
 

   

  
For ty six f
4:3
    

 miles
 takes
4:3
  

Children
30



    on ly a while

    then three more
  to Pau -
  let Isle.

Let's
   
Pno.

4:3
    
4:3
4:3
4:3
4:3
4:3
                  

Children
33



     tra vel in style




Pno.

4:3
    
4:3
4:3
4:3
4:3
4:3
                  

Children
36


 

Pno.

  to Pau rit.
 
 let Isle.
 mp














Links
Scott   Polar   Research   Institute   photo   archive   to   see   pictures   from   the   voyage:   http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/library/pictures/catalogue/itae1914 ‐
16/gallery/
Facts,   interactive   games,   activities,   clips:
http://www.discoveringantarctica.org.uk/
Stop ‐ motion   animation   made   by   children   in   Ireland   about   Tom   Crean:   http://vimeo.com/45032707
Snowlab,   where   you   can   contribute   to   national   statistics   about   snow:
http://www.spri.cam.ac.uk/research/projects/snowlab/
Wordpress   blog   “Shackleton   In   Schools”   activities   created   by   a   teacher:   https://emmalkerr.wordpress.com/
Skip ‐ count   maths   worksheets   with   polar   animals:   http://www.atozkidsstuff.com/images/penguins/skipcountpenguin2.pdf
http://www.atozkidsstuff.com/images/penguins/skipcountpenguin5.pdf
Books   to   read
Mrs   Chippy's   Last   Expedition:   The   Remarkable   Journal   of   Shackleton's
Polar ‐ Bound   Cat   by   Caroline   Alexander
Ice   Trap!
Shackleton’s   Incredible   Expedition   by   Meredith   Hooper   &   MP
Robertson
Places   to   visit
You   can   see   the   navigational   equipment   used   on   the   voyage   of   the   James   Caird,   some   of
Shackleton’s   belongings   and   a   replica   of   the   lifeboat   at:
You   can   see   the   James   Caird   lifeboat   at:
Dulwich   College
Dulwich   Common
Polar   Museum
Scott   Polar   Research   Institute
Lensfield   Road
Cambridge
CB2   1ER
01223   336540
www.spri.cam.ac.uk
Discovery   Point
Discovery   Quay
Dundee,   DD1   4XA
01382   309060
www.rrsdiscovery.com
London
SE21   7LD
020   8693   3601   www.dulwich.org.uk
You   can   see   some   artefacts   from   Shackleton’s
voyage   at:
National   Maritime   Museum
Park   Row
London
SE10   9NF   www.rmg.co.uk
43

©
3 rd
floor,   63   Charterhouse   Street,   London,   EC1M   6HJ
020   7833   2555   www.englishtouringopera.org.uk