Concert starts: 7pm

Address of venue: Teatr Wielki, Fredry 9, 60-967 Poznan, Poland. MAP

Website: http://www.opera.poznan.pl

Strictly speaking, this show does not form part of Roger's 2007 tour, as it is devoted to his opera, Ca Ira. Following the world premiere performance of the piece in Poznan, Poland, in August 2006 (with costumed actors taking part) it is different from the Rome shows in November 2005, which were far simpler events, just using projections.

Our thanks to Marek for bringing us the news of this further show at the Poznan Opera House.

Ticketing details can be found at the Opera House's website - www.opera.poznan.pl

CONCERT REVIEW - by BD contributer, Joke Tuinema

"Roger Waters mixes music with politics" I read in an article after 'The Dark Side of the Moon' concert last year in Abu Dis (Palestine). Almost arrested after he painted "No Thought Control", he manages to confront thousands of people with his thoughts about Liberty, Equality, Fraternity and Passion with his new classical opera "Ça Ira. There is hope".

A year ago, I first got acquainted with this opera. And, from the very beginning, reading the lyrics and listening to this incredible, impressive and touching music, Ça Ira changed my life.

Never before had I realised what it really means to stand up against tyranny and be killed for that fact.

I didn't know much about The French Revolution and the way this war changed the world in that time. Well, I do now.

And I've become very interested in several ways. Coming from 'another world' (the cassical music of J.S. Bach and friends), Ça Ira was the first opera I could listen to without getting bored at some points. No, even more, I could not listen to Ça Ira without tears. The passionate and powerful music struck my heart.

I live in Holland. I never have been oppressed. I have also never experienced anything like hearing shooting guns around my house or even worse, had to look at something horrible like a falling guillotine.

In Holland we celebrate Liberation-day on the 5th of May. On the 5th of May 2003 a little booklet was published. In this booklet children have written about "Growing up in Freedom".

Allow me to share some parts of the Preface in this booklet, written by the Mayor of Langedijk:

Children are without any worries. If that is what you think, you better reconsider.
Children have to cope with a lot. In losing its first toy a child knows the meaning to strive
for power. In being put aside it knows how boycott feels. To win or to lose, to be active
or to rest, to join or to set its boundaries, every child learns the meaning of such a choice.

Not childlike is to know the feeling of war, or fear, how can you feel safe when danger
surrounds you? When your own parents are overwhelmed with fear, what kind of a lesson is
that for a child?
The elderly people now in our country, they were children during the Second World War.
They will never forget the fear of those days.

We have freedom and peace in our country. Only in other countries we do see the consequences of war.
To prevent our children having to experience war, we keep on telling them the stories.
How bad it is, how much sorrow it brings, how stupid it is to want power and therefore have to kill, how
intolerance leaves scars.
We very much hope that children learn the value of growing up in freedom.
How big you are when you can tolerate origins, sex, religion and race. 

It doesn't take one step to arrive into the folly of Ça Ira.

Roger Waters tells us all about the beginning of The Revolution. The story of birds who sang again. The story of sticks and stones and bushes and bones. The story of everything under the sun. And, we all know there's nothing new under that same sun.

Roger Waters asks us to glean knowledge, to find our voice and make a choice. Be what you want to be.

And realise the moon and the sun shine on everyone and favour no one.

"The politics of the Rights of Man is the sharing of apples with an even hand" I heard the children sing. And almost immediatly I wanted to tell others about Ça Ira. Wanted to let people know there's still hope for our world if we know everything about good medicine against tyranny.

Life doesn't stop after the spilling of blood for truth alone.

It made me think about Nelson Mandela. He surely knows what it means to have a piece of prison stone having called his own insight. He is able to see the other side. He surely will leave strength and weakness, love and pride to his children.

But, all these things will avail them, if our children do survive ....

Being a mother myself, I made up my mind and came to the conclusion I wanted to tell my daughter (she is 9 years young) more about growing up in Freedom.

And the difference with growing up in War.

I told her about Honest Bird, who wanted to influence The Queen of France in a positive way. She and King Louis also died because they made other choices.

Well, Ça Ira tells us everything about the way a revolution can mend the world. Ça Ira shows us that there is hope, looking for freedom in our modern world.

I'm very grateful to have been able to visit Poznan to look at and to listen to Ça Ira.

I thank Roger Waters for letting us experience so much more than 'There is Hope'.