The intimate confines of the Manoel Theatre in Valletta resounded to the angelic voices of children singing in a preview yesterday of the operatic double bill The Little Sweep and Noye’s Fludde (Noah’s Flood) by Benjamin Britten.

Maltese tenor Joseph Calleja flew in especially for the preview to endorse the production in an effort to re-popularise opera and make it accessible for children.

“Opera was never intended to be out of reach for anyone, it was entertainment for the masses,” he said.

Organised by Drama Troupe and commissioned by the Manoel as part of the Opera Series, the two shows will be staged later this month.

Mr Calleja said he thought Malta underestimated the importance of classical music, which was once so integral to Malta’s history. Culture did not save lives in the literal, black and white sense of the term but it greatly enhanced life, he said.

He stressed that children had to be exposed to opera and culture before they formed prejudices that would last a lifetime, adding there should be more screenings of age-appropriate opera catering for youngsters, and more done in terms of education in schools.

Drama Troupe artistic director and founder Lorraine Aquilina said the company had always aimed to promote classical music among the young.

In fact Noye’s Fludde is set in the age of Flower Power in the 1960s and brings to the fore present day environmental issues through a favourite biblical story. Meanwhile, The Little Sweep brings to life Charles Dickens’s story by virtue of accessible music for children.

The cast is primarily made up of Maltese singers, established and otherwise, including a chorus of 25 children. Musical director Philip Walsh will lead the Malta Philharmonic Orchestra.

The operas will run between November 19 and 20, at 8 p.m., at the Manoel. There will also be four performances specifically for schools.