Harmonious nonsense: Alexandra Hope

Alexandra Hope Watson is a high flyer – literally. You may have seen her beaming down at you from a University of Canterbury (UC) billboard, emboldened behind her the words “MUSIC” and “AEROBATICS”, writes Metropol’s Joseph Harper.

Acurious juxtaposition, one that describes two of the young composer and concert singer’s passions. Alexandra began flying at 16, around the same time she began taking advanced courses at UC. She is now completing a commercial pilot’s licence and has won national titles in aerobatics – a discipline described as gymnastics in aeroplanes. Think barrel rolls and loop-de-loops. Alexandra explains her hobby to me over a hot chocolate at The Arts Centre. “It sounds so extravagant, but it’s really just like anything else.” I get the feeling she’s understating it.

Right now, along with studying toward her doctorate in composition, she’s hard at work readying A Magical Musical Mystery, a dreamlike musical based on the nonsense verse of Lewis Carroll. The piece is to be performed by Alexandra herself along with the Christchurch Symphony Orchestra, and has its world premiere on 28 September at The Piano. It’s a work the young composer and performer is particularly proud of. “I’ve seen a lot of musicals which have contributed to who I am. I wanted people to hear this poetry; to hear these songs.”

The dreamlike quality of the source material inspired Alexandra – how it lends itself to personal interpretations. “I love how your brain creates something that makes sense, like a dream.” She hopes her musical conjures this phenomenon for her audience. “The songs are woven together to create a consciousness. It’s like a puzzle – the music and lyrics intertwined.”

Lewis Carroll’s work has always appealed to Alexandra. “Everybody knows Alice in Wonderland. Everybody knows Lewis Carroll. I wasn’t changing anything, I was adding to them.” Bringing those words to life in music wasn’t a simple task. “They’re complex settings with lots of textures. I had to find ways for them to work together. It’s all about texture and timbre – and then finding places for the orchestra to be a big symphony was fun.”

Led by an all-women creative team, the orchestra will be conducted by Naomi Hnat, a former choir mate of Alexandra’s, returning from the United Kingdom for the show. The performance is a huge undertaking. Three singers, 20 songs, 33 instruments – all coming together in only two days of rehearsal. While the premiere is looming, it’s a challenge that Alexandra is relishing. “I’m more excited than nervous. It feels like I’m jumping into the deep end.”