March 18, 2024
The Sarah and Ernest Butler School of Music at The University of Texas at Austin is pleased to announce a screening of composer Gordon Getty’s opera Goodbye, Mr. Chips at the AFS Cinema, Austin’s only nonprofit art house theater.
The screening on April 2 at 7:30 pm will feature a conversation and Q&A with members of the creative team behind the film, with opportunities for the audience to ask questions.
Gordon Getty’s opera, reimagined for film, is based on the popular 1934 novella Goodbye, Mr. Chips and other stories by James Hilton. Goodbye, Mr. Chips tells the story of a teacher at Brookfield, an all-boys English boarding school to which “Chips” dedicates most of his adult life.
The film chronicles Chips’ story, from his first days at the boarding school in 1870, through his marriage to the woman who will change him forever, to the rapid changes of the turn of the century and outbreak of World War I. Along the way, we’re reminded of the difference one good teacher can make as we watch Chips and his children enrich each other's lives. The opera’s world premiere took place on November 14, 2021, in San Rafael, CA.
An acclaimed composer and librettist, Gordon Getty is known for synthesizing the old and new in his operas, songs, choral pieces and piano compositions. As a librettist, his work often explores worlds of tragic tales, from haunted houses, to whimsical adventures of mythical beings. Notably, his one-act opera Usher House, premiered by the Welsh National Opera in 2014, delves into the mysterious world of Edgar Allan Poe.
Getty is known for his exceptional work in writing for voice. One of his most widely performed compositions is the song cycle The White Election, which consists of 31 poems by Emily Dickinson. As an admirer of Dickinson's work, Getty’s cycle takes the listener on a journey through the life of the poet.
Admission is free and open to the public. For more details, please visit the event page here.
By Gordon Getty, composer and librettist
Brian Staufenbiel, director
Nicole Paiement, conductor
Lisa Delan, executive producer
Nicolle Foland, co-producer