Open Call: Join the chorus for ArtHouse Jersey’s Held in the Tide at Jersey Opera House in March 2026

A new opera for Jersey - and we would like your voice to be part of it.

ArtHouse Jersey is inviting Islanders to join the chorus of Held in the Tide, a bold new opera created with and for the people of Jersey. Whether you’re an experienced singer or are completely new to performance, we’d love to hear from you. No professional music or stage experience is required - just enthusiasm, curiosity, and a willingness to work collaboratively.

The chorus is at the heart of the production, shaping the sound, energy, and emotional landscape of the story. You’ll work closely with the creative team, including Creative Director Georgia Mae Bishop, Musical Director Ashley Beauchamp, Stage Director Cecilia Stinton, and Chorus Director Grace Garnier - as we bring this brand-new work to life.

What the project is about:

Held in the Tide is the culmination of Raise Your Voice, Jersey! - an ambitious project exploring identity, belonging, and collective voice through the artform of opera, inviting Islanders to help reshape what opera can be. Since summer 2024, the project has brought together 18-30 year-olds, professional artists, and our Island community in workshops, story-gathering sessions, and creative residencies designed to make opera more inclusive, contemporary, and rooted in lived experience rather than distant tradition.

Through this co-creation process, participants have helped shape the themes, characters, and emotional core of a brand-new opera that asks what it means to call Jersey home. Their ideas and perspectives sit alongside the expertise of a world-class creative team, demonstrating a belief at the heart of the programme: opera can be made with and for our community. 

The performance itself begins with a storm and a shoreline where three long-buried standing stones emerge. At its centre are two Islanders: Lillie, a geologist returning after years away, and Frances, an artist who never left. The reappearance of the stones triggers a chain of reckonings between past and present, global ambition and local memory, progress and preservation. Woven through with voices of Islanders, returners, and dreamers, it is at once funny, moving, and deeply human.

Blending classical, folk, and electronic influences, the opera is led by Jersey-born mezzo-soprano Georgia Mae Bishop and performed by a professional cast of seven Jersey-born artists, alongside a chorus whose sound surges through the story like the tide itself. This is an opera rooted in Jersey today, performed in the everyday English you hear on the streets of St. Helier, with a touch of Jèrriais woven through to honour Jersey’s linguistic heritage.

By joining the chorus, you become part of this creative act: helping to bring the Island’s rhythms, tensions, hopes, and humour to the stage. The production includes several small supporting roles, which will be cast from within the chorus during rehearsals. If you’re interested in taking on a slightly larger role with spoken or sung moments, there will be opportunities to put yourself forward once rehearsals begin.

Whether you’re an opera regular or have never sung in a group before, this is your invitation to help shape something extraordinary - a new opera made with care, by many hands, for all of us.

What we’re looking for:

• Anyone aged 18+ living in Jersey.

• Confident singers, ensemble performers, or enthusiastic beginners who enjoy singing and performing.

• People excited to be part of an ambitious creative process in a supportive group.

• Those able to commit to the full rehearsal and production schedule (January to March 2026).

• Openness, reliability, and a collaborative spirit.

• No audition, formal training, or prior opera experience required.

Time commitment and dates:

Participants must be able to attend the full rehearsal schedule and production week between Sunday 18 January 2026 and Friday 27 March 2026, including:

• Day-long launch on a Sunday,

• Eight weekly evening rehearsals on Mondays,

• Four afternoon creative sessions monthly on Sundays,

• Two evening rehearsals with the cast on Thursdays during the rehearsal weeks,

• Dress rehearsal and two public performances during the production week.

Please find the full schedule linked HERE

Rehearsals will take place at ArtHouse Jersey’s Greve de Lecq Barracks in St. Mary from Sunday 18 January and from Thursday 19 March rehearsals will take place at Jersey Opera House in St. Helier. 

What you’ll get from the experience:

• A rare opportunity to perform the world premiere of an original opera.

• Develop your vocal and performance skills with leading creative professionals.

• A vibrant, joyful, and meaningful community experience.

• A central role in reshaping how opera is made and who it is for.

• The chance to perform at Jersey Opera House as part of a major cultural moment for the Island.

• Take part in a unique artistic journey that centres the experiences, identities, and voices of Islanders.

How to apply:

To express your interest in participating, please complete our short sign-up form HERE.

We are looking for a chorus of around 20-25 people. If we receive more expressions of interest than we can safely and effectively accommodate, we may need to select a balanced group from the applicants. We will be in touch with everyone after the deadline on Wednesday 7 January 2025 to confirm your place.

Access and inclusion:

We are committed to ensuring this project is as welcoming and accessible as possible. If you have access needs, financial barriers, or questions about the commitment, please contact Programme Coordinator Amy Baker by e-mail at amy@arts.je.

Thank you for your consideration and we look forward to hearing from you!

Commissioned and Produced by ArtHouse Jersey. Developed and Presented in partnership with Jersey Opera House. Part of the New Work Programme supported by Coutts Crown Dependencies.