Counterparts Music Theatre Arts

Counterparts Music Theatre Arts (MTA) is a charitable limited company, operating in conjunction with Counterparts-UK (Helen Porter & Peter Ursem). The objective of Counterparts MTA is to enable the creation, performance or exhibition of new works of music, theatre and art, of the highest possible quality, for the benefit of people, artists and audiences in England (with a particular interest in the southwest) and Wales.

The organisation's first production – ‘The Highwayman & Other Songs from the Shadows’ – featuring Helen’s music for 7 voices and 7 instruments and shadow animation by Joe Gladwin, toured the southwest England region in October/November 2006.

Counterparts MTA is currently preparing for a new opera production, 
‘The Aspern Papers’, based on the novella by Henry James. The music will be written by Helen Porter, the libretto is by Amanda Smith. This new chamber opera for 3 voices and string quartet is scheduled to tour South West England in the summer of 2010.
In its first stage, Helen composed '4 Venetian Interludes', the world premiere of which by Sarum Orchestra took place on 17 January 2009 at Salisbury Arts Centre. Sarum Orchestra will perform the interludes again in the Farrington Recital Hall, Port Regis, Shaftesbury, in June 2009.

Alongside the production of 'The Aspern Papers', Counterparts MTA co-ordinates 'Love Letters or - How far will you go to get what you want?', a school programme to create opportunities for young people to learn about the professional creation and design of new music and opera. Schools can choose their own menu of workshops to give their pupils a chance to work with musicians, composers, set designers and graphic designers.

To find out more about 'The Aspern Papers' and the schools programme 'Love Letters', or to help fundraising, please contact Helen or Peter.