'Our legacy will go on,' says Benedictine Sr. Danile

Intermountain Catholic

+ Enlarge

SALT LAKE CITY — The joy of children’s opera was evident in the St. Vincent de Paul Elementary School gym May 11, when Mary Williams’ kindergarten class presented their original opera, "The Cow That Went Oink," for parents, fellow students, and an invited audience.

Based on the book by Bernard Most, "The Cow That Went Oink" featured James Rhodes (above left), as a bewildered cow who can only oink. Various barnyard animals, including (above) a mouse (Mary Grace Gilstrap) and a cat (Logan Seat) offer good advice, but still, the cow feels frustrated and lonely, isolated from the other cows.

Eventually, the cow meets a pig who can only moo (Jenna Granja), far right. They become fast friends, but don’t communicate well with each other.

Only when all the barnyard gets together and helps out is the problem solved. The result is a lively dance among the animals (above right), with plenty of oinking, mooing, bleating, barking, meowing, and tweeting to go around.

"The Cow That Went Oink" served as an introduction for pre-kindergarten students, who then were led on tours of their new school by the barnyard cast.

The opera was produced with generous help from Utah Symphony and Opera staffers Paula Fowler and Emily Murphy, and Murray Arts Centre choreographer Michelle Armstrong.

A host of parents also contributed to the operatic effort, and Williams and parents Teresa Daily and Debbie Gilstrap were on the set keeping the opera moving along nicely. Even guests in the gym were listed in the program as providing "congratulations and hugs" to nervous performers.

With a libretto created by the kindergarten students themselves, a lesson in cooperation and perseverance was learned and taught.