Selected work · 2024
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
Northern Light Theatre Company
Musical Director · Conductor · Sound design
The production
A production of unusual musical scale: a 20-piece orchestra, principals, ensemble and 32-voice choir creating the sound world of Notre Dame from beyond the visible stage.
- Year
- 2024
- Company
- Northern Light Theatre Company
- Role
- Musical Director · Conductor · Sound design
Winner · Best Musical — Theatrical Association of South Australia
Musical Director's vision
The sound of
The Hunchback of Notre Dame
I wanted the cathedral to be heard before it was understood: a sound with weight, distance and humanity. The choir and orchestra needed to create grandeur, but never at the expense of the individual voices at the centre of the story.
With the orchestra and conductor offstage, trust became part of the musical architecture. The cast worked through monitors, so ensemble preparation, clear gesture and a carefully integrated sound design were essential to making the performance feel immediate in the auditorium.
Creative focus
- 01
A 20-piece orchestra and 32-voice choir shaped as one ensemble
- 02
Offstage conducting delivered to performers through monitors
- 03
Sound design built for scale, clarity and spatial cohesion
- 04
Detailed ensemble preparation for a demanding choral score
In review
What the
critics heard.
“Musical Director Matthew Rumley conducts a 20-piece orchestra that excels.”
Stage Whispers
“Professionals occasionally find this difficult, so kudos to Rumley for training the ensemble so well.”
TASA Online
“Matthew Rumley and his orchestra superbly embrace and execute Menken and Schwartz’s virtuoso compositions with ease.”
Lia Loves