Music in A Midsummer Night’s Dream
There was, surprisingly, a lot of music in this show. In this rendition of “A Midsummer Night’s Dream,” the lines that are usually spoken but written as a song were actually sung, which I thought added a lot to the performance. The fairies were played by children, so their voices were young and had a children choir sound. Their pieces were often sung from the balconies, which created an ethereal,above-our-heads feel. They were also dissonant, which made the sound otherworldly. Their were two boy soloists that sang over the choir. Boy soloists and choirs are often called “angel choirs” and are used to get that angelic sound.
These pieces were used to establish mood and vibe. Music was also used for humor. When the actors thought that Bottom was dead, they began singing a funny version of Amazing Grace with improv. This made the audience laugh and further convinced us of the silliness of the characters.
