Chinese-Canadian tenor and UBC alum Spencer Britten is set to debut their recital Memoirs of a Gaysian at the Canadian Opera Company in Toronto on May 27. The recital explores Britten’s experiences growing up at the intersection of Asian and Queer identity, with music by Hong Kong-born Canadian composer Alice Ping Yee Ho and Benjamin Britten, famed English composer and ancestor of Spencer Britten. The recital also includes pieces by other composers with a focus on Queer and Asian musicians and writers.
Originally from Port Moody, BC, Britten began singing as a child and pursued undergraduate and master's degrees in the UBC Opera program, experiences that Britten said “really influenced the beginning of [his] love of opera.”
As a part of both the Asian Queer community and the opera world, Britten frequently explores the potential for openness and change in their field. The adjacency of Asian Heritage Month in May and Pride Month in June inspired them to celebrate both identities with the creation of Memoirs of a Gaysian.
According to Britten, Queer Vietnamese-American composer Dylan Trần’s recital Ba – poems from Ocean was inspirational in the production of Memoirs of a Gaysian.
“[Trần’s work] was a starting point … because it came across my path at such an important time for me when I was rediscovering what I needed in life,” he said.
Memoirs of a Gaysian for Britten is both a challenging contemporary art work and an emotional journey wrapped up in ideas of Queer solidarity.
“[The recital involves] a lot of Queer love, Queer heartbreak and strength,” said Britten. “There's one song in there by an American composer, [Ben Moore]. And it really speaks towards … the strength of the Queer community. Honestly, I don't know how I'm gonna get through that song without crying, because it's so meaningful and powerful, and I hope that translates to the audience as well.”
Personal resonance is threaded throughout Memoirs of a Gaysian. When performing Alice Ping Yee Ho’s opera Chinatown, a story about two families of Chinese immigrants in Vancouver, Britten sings in Hoisanese, the dialect their family speaks at home.
"It's a Queer love story as well," said Britten, "so that resonated really closely with my heart.”
Opera has not always included representation of the intersection between Asian and Queer identity. According to Britten, it can be difficult for Queer folks to see themselves in the traditional stories that opera tells.
Contemporary pieces like Memoirs of a Gaysian, then, create an inclusive space for the expression of diverse human experience. With this recital, Britten hopes to bring a new perspective into opera that represents the Asian Queer community while touching the heart of a broader audience.
“I know there's a lot of resistance to change in all aspects of life, but especially in the opera and classical musical industries, there seems to be a lot of resistance,” Britten said. “Hopefully, by doing more work like this, people become more accustomed to opening their minds and seeing things from a different perspective.”
In addition to the recital's debut in Toronto with follow up performances planned in Philadelphia and New York City, Britten hopes to bring Memoirs of a Gaysian to their hometown of Vancouver. Outside of stage performance, Britten is devoted to a social media campaign to promote opera in a fun way and challenge the elitist stereotype of opera. Readers can find more about the tenor's work on their website, YouTube channel and Instagram account.
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