GOODBYE, MR. CHIPS

NEW OPERA BY GORDON GETTY FEATURING THE YOUNG PEOPLE’S CHORUS OF NEW YORK CITY

Nov. 14, 2021
7:00 pm ET

Goodbye, Mr. Chips, a new opera by YPC’s Artist in Residence, Gordon Getty, will receive its world premiere—as an opera reimagined for film—on Sunday, November 14, 2021. The public screening, presented by Festival Napa Valley in partnership with the Mill Valley Film Festival, will take place at the California Film Institute’s Smith Rafael Film Center.

Mr. Getty’s fourth opera is based on the popular 1934 novella Goodbye, Mr. Chips by James Hilton and tells the heartwarming story of a teacher at Brookfield, an all-boys English boarding school to which Mr. Chips dedicates most of his adult life. The opera chronicles Chips’ story of love, loss, and learning over his decades-long tenure at Brookfield.

Forty members of the Young People’s Chorus of New York City, conducted by Francisco J Nunez, are featured as the boarding school’s students. As a result of pandemic safety protocols, the main characters, orchestra, and chorus were all recorded separately. Filming of the chorus took place last summer in New York City and includes singers ranging in age from 10 to 18. The choristers’ performance is seamlessly integrated into the film, vividly appearing as Chips remembers them.