Difference between revisions of "Hellfire"

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(Created page with "The Rock Opera Hellfire was written by Joe Tibbetts (book and lyrics) and Paul Todd (music). According to sting.com Last Exit played this in late 1975, but an ad i...")
 
(Quotations and trivia)
 
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The Rock Opera [[Hellfire]] was written by Joe Tibbetts (book and lyrics) and Paul Todd (music). According to sting.com [[Last Exit]] played this in late [[1975]], but an ad in student newspaper provides performance dates between [[1976-05-27]] - [[1976-06-19]]
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This is a basic template to use for articles about television series which Sting, Stewart or Andy has provided contributions to its soundtrack and score. You can add header sections as you feel necessary in order to properly illustrate this subject.  
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http://courierarchive.ncl.ac.uk/sites/default/files/1977-02-23.pdf mentions that project cost £12.000, but only brought back £400 (!) in box office money.
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{| border=1 align=right cellpadding=4 cellspacing=0 width=300 style="margin: 0 0 1em 1em; background: #E6E6E6; border: solid 2px #FF0000; border-spacing: 2; padding:5px; margin-top:10px; font-size: 100%;"
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!  colspan="2" | <big>''Hellfire''</big>
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
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|  colspan="2" | [[Image:1976_05_19_Courier_ad.jpg|thumb|center|an ad for the [[Hellfire]] performances in "Courier"'s May 19 issue - 13/4/1, University Archives, Newcastle University Special Collections, GB 186]]
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|- style="background-color: #E6E6E6;"
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!  colspan="2" | Basic information
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
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| <b>Composed by:</b>
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| Joe Tibbetts (book and lyrics) and Paul Todd (music)
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
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| <b>Composed in:</b>
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| [[YYYY]]
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
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| <b>Length:</b>
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| LENGTH
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
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| <b>Premiere date:</b>
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| [[1976-04-02]]
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
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| <b>Premiere venue:</b>
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| [[Newcastle University]]'s Theatre
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|- style="background-color: #f9f9f9;"
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| <b>Premiere location:</b>
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| Newcastle, England, UK
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|}
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=Introduction=
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''Opening statement: Please insert a brief statement about this composition. For television scores, use [[Template:Television (score)]] instead of this template. For film scores, use [[Template:Film (score)]] instead of this template. In some cases, [[Template:Song]] will fit better, or some combination of these two templates. Please use your best judgment based on the recording and performance history of this composition.''
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=Background=
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''This section needs more information. Include an introduction to this composition: if it was commissioned for a particular event, based on a particular source material, other individuals involved in the production of this piece, etc.''
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=Performance history=
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* [[1976-04-02]] - [[1976-04-10]]
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* [[1976-05-27]] - [[1976-06-19]]
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=Release History=
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[[Composition]] appears on the following album releases:
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{| cellspacing="0" cellpadding="10" border="1" style="background-color: #F0F0F0;  border-spacing: 2; padding:5px;"
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! Cover art
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! Album title
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! Release date
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! Release country
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|- style="background-color: #FFFFFF;"
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| [[Image:stub.gif|40px]]
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| [[Album date]]
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| [[YYYY-MM-DD]]
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| Country
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|}
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=Quotations and trivia=
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[[Hellfire]] premiered on [[1976-04-02]] and ran up until [[1976-04-10]]. An ad in a student newspaper provides additional performance dates between [[1976-05-27]] and [[1976-06-19]]
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[http://courierarchive.ncl.ac.uk/sites/default/files/1977-02-23.pdf Courier] mentions that project cost £12.000, but only brought back £400 (!) in box office money.
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In [[Broken Music]] [[Sting]] describes this project as a fiasco.
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Sting.com presents quotes from a review by Peter Mortimer:
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'Hellfire' Comes A Bit Late' - Redemption comes late in the day for"Hellfire" the rock opera at Newcastle's University Theatre. Presumably not too late for the audience, for the reception was enthusiastic. Memories are sometimes short, and though I'll willingly acknowledge the gutsy muscle injected into the finale, there are some serious shortcomings in the main body of the work. The theme is The Bible - all of it, the cast a mixture of professional actors and children, and Paul Todd's music is played by Tyneside's most exciting group, Last Exit. Inevitably, biblical rock has a derivative feel about it these days. What is left to do? Probably nothing, but here the ambitious plan is to whizz us through from the creation until Christ finally descends from the cross and sees Lucifer off. A big task and in the overlong first half especially, one that overstretches the company. God (Peter Rutherford) stands on high surveying all while Lucifer (Geoffrey Burridge) pops up and down from his dominions to do his naughties. If Last Exit's musicianship maintains a high standard, Ian Forrest's direction at times looks lack-lustre: the lyrics are self consciously modern ("No way baby!" is a repetitious phrase of God's), and we're left unsure as to whether this is lampooning or a real attempt at spiritual uplifting. Some necessary cutting, and the piece's vitality may improve greatly.
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=See also=
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''This section needs more information.''
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=External links=
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''This section needs more information.''
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=References=
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source: Courier student newspaper
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[[Category:Composition (Other)]]

Latest revision as of 22:54, 10 October 2020


Hellfire
an ad for the Hellfire performances in "Courier"'s May 19 issue - 13/4/1, University Archives, Newcastle University Special Collections, GB 186
Basic information
Composed by: Joe Tibbetts (book and lyrics) and Paul Todd (music)
Composed in: YYYY
Length: LENGTH
Premiere date: 1976-04-02
Premiere venue: Newcastle University's Theatre
Premiere location: Newcastle, England, UK

Introduction

Opening statement: Please insert a brief statement about this composition. For television scores, use Template:Television (score) instead of this template. For film scores, use Template:Film (score) instead of this template. In some cases, Template:Song will fit better, or some combination of these two templates. Please use your best judgment based on the recording and performance history of this composition.

Background

This section needs more information. Include an introduction to this composition: if it was commissioned for a particular event, based on a particular source material, other individuals involved in the production of this piece, etc.

Performance history

Release History

Composition appears on the following album releases:

Cover art Album title Release date Release country
Stub.gif Album date YYYY-MM-DD Country

Quotations and trivia

Hellfire premiered on 1976-04-02 and ran up until 1976-04-10. An ad in a student newspaper provides additional performance dates between 1976-05-27 and 1976-06-19

Courier mentions that project cost £12.000, but only brought back £400 (!) in box office money.

In Broken Music Sting describes this project as a fiasco.


Sting.com presents quotes from a review by Peter Mortimer:

'Hellfire' Comes A Bit Late' - Redemption comes late in the day for"Hellfire" the rock opera at Newcastle's University Theatre. Presumably not too late for the audience, for the reception was enthusiastic. Memories are sometimes short, and though I'll willingly acknowledge the gutsy muscle injected into the finale, there are some serious shortcomings in the main body of the work. The theme is The Bible - all of it, the cast a mixture of professional actors and children, and Paul Todd's music is played by Tyneside's most exciting group, Last Exit. Inevitably, biblical rock has a derivative feel about it these days. What is left to do? Probably nothing, but here the ambitious plan is to whizz us through from the creation until Christ finally descends from the cross and sees Lucifer off. A big task and in the overlong first half especially, one that overstretches the company. God (Peter Rutherford) stands on high surveying all while Lucifer (Geoffrey Burridge) pops up and down from his dominions to do his naughties. If Last Exit's musicianship maintains a high standard, Ian Forrest's direction at times looks lack-lustre: the lyrics are self consciously modern ("No way baby!" is a repetitious phrase of God's), and we're left unsure as to whether this is lampooning or a real attempt at spiritual uplifting. Some necessary cutting, and the piece's vitality may improve greatly.

See also

This section needs more information.

External links

This section needs more information.

References

source: Courier student newspaper