St Paul’s Choir School to perform original musical in Burlingame

Fanny — The Musical will be performed 4 p.m. May 18 at St. Paul’s. 

The opportunity to learn and perform the music of female composers is inspiring to students, especially the girls in the choir, Matthews said. 

“It lets them know they can be composers, they can be great performers, and there’s been a long history of women doing that,” she said. “It’s really incredible for them to have the opportunity to bring that music to people that haven’t heard it before.” 

An original script was written by the students with help from poet and writing coach Mia Malhotra. After watching a documentary on Fanny Hensel’s life, the students were engaged and transfixed, Matthews said. 

Five separate scenes in the show will explore different aspects of the composer’s life, including her parents’ encouragement of her brother Felix’s musical talents and their disapproval of her own. Other elements of the musical will showcase Fanny Hensel’s private concerts, where guests would come to hear her perform. 

“She grew up in a wealthy German family that thought it wasn’t appropriate for a woman to be performing or publishing music,” Matthews said. 

Through the performance, Matthews hopes the participants of St. Paul’s Choir School will be able to share beautiful and little-known music with a broader audience, as well as transmit themes still applicable today. 

“Fanny was so gifted as a musician and her family said ‘no, you can’t perform and no, you can’t publish.’ Because of that passion, she continued to write, even though it’s really hard,” she said. “We talk a lot about that — persisting with your passion.” 

The St. Paul’s Choir School will also perform at Easter service at 9 a.m. and 11:15 a.m. at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church, 415 El Camino Real, Burlingame. Go to stpaulsburlingame.org for more information.