An opera borne out of isolation

While most of us spent lockdown blasting through numerous TV box sets and half-heartedly trying to stay fit, others got creative. Billy Boyd Cape was one of these people. The UK filmmaker directed a brand new opera from a remote location with eight performers that were also in isolation.

Eight Songs from Isolation is a series of performances commissioned by conductor Oliver Zeffman. And remarkably this 40-minute epic was filmed entirely on iPhones before being expertly stitched together by Boyd Cape.

Power ballads

The opera charts the different ways that the Coronavirus-related lockdown has affected people, which the cast from the Academy of St Martin in the Fields bring to life.

Eight Songs from Isolation is a roller coaster of wonderment from start to finish. From soprano Sophie Bevan’s intimate performance alongside her baby to tenor Toby Spence’s intense story of bleakness in his London flat, you’ll find something to relate to.

The whole thing is available right now via Apple Music.