Linkschuh und die Meermurmel

My good friend Tim Florence, a Berlin based composer, musician and instrumental teacher, suggested that I adapt one of my seadog stories for their St Nicholas Concert in December 2016. The concert, held annually at their music school,  usually featured different sorts of fairy and folk tales so Tim thought that the 'Left Shoe and the Foundling' would be ideal. The translation always involves interpretation- because 'Seadog' is 'Seehund' (meaning seal), Meermurmel was chosen. 'Meer' means sea, and 'murmel' a sort of sweet little animal. Tim wrote the score and his partner, Petra (a violinist and teacher) undertook the all of the coordination, direction, set dressing and even made the giant squid costume. 

The material had to be tailored to showcase the children's  instrumental skills. The overture, themes, solos and story were to be held together with an adult narrator and staged as a simple play. Initially I was also collaborating with Mary Doumany- a Melbourne based harpist and composer but working with two composers became a difficult job over such distances so Mary withdrew. One of the wonderful songs she wrote did end up in the concert.

I sent through some sketches for staging and costume ideas but only as a sort of 'mood board'. But my role was really just to adapt the story to their requirements and to turn up in Berlin to watch.