My first children’s opera, The North Wind and the Sun, based on one of Aesop’s fables, was performed by Ulster Youth Opera as part of Belfast Children’s Festival, at Clonard Monastery, Belfast on Saturday March 7th, 2026.

I chose this particular Aesop’s Fable because it incorporates lots of drama and spectacle into the story and had great potential for storytelling and characterisation in an opera. The story in a nutshell: the North Wind and the Sun had an argument one day about which one of them was the strongest. They decided to choose an unsuspecting traveller and see who could remove their cloak the quickest – this would prove which one of them was stronger! The North Wind went first and blew and blew and blew until they were exhausted…but the traveller just wrapped their coat around themselves even tighter and it would not blow away. The Sun simply heated the world very gently and eventually the traveller got hot and sticky and just removed their own cloak. The moral of the story: Don’t use up all of your puff trying to get a job done – just work consistently and gentle persuasion will win the day!

As I was able to write the libretto as well as the music, I was able to expand on the characterisation of the North Wind and the Sun and made them more cheeky and humorous as they argued with each other. I wrote the dazzling Sun part for soprano solo and the entire children’s choir played the character of the North Wind, with whooshing vocal effects a-plenty. The ensemble also joined in on the action with elegant flute flourishes, clarinet glissandi, pizzicato strings and noisy bangs of all the keys on the piano. There was even a short quotation from a famous marvellous movie franchise, poking fun at the “puny powers” of the Sun, according to the North Wind! I wanted to preserve some of the more traditional features of opera, such as arias, recitatives and choruses, albeit in miniature form. The usual long instrumental “overture” was reduced to a three bar introduction in my mini opera. I had a lot of fun composing this piece.

The Aesop’s Fables Children’s Operas are a fantastic introduction to the world of opera and suitable for all. The Tortoise and the Hare by Áine Mallon and The Boy who Cried Wolf by Anselm McDonnell were also performed brilliantly. All three works worked well together and featured exciting characterisation, props, costumes and of course, wonderful music performances. The children’s choirs featured in the performance were from all over Northern Ireland – Belfast, Enniskillen and Derry/Londonderry – and there were also special guests from Welsh National Youth Opera. The performances also included actress Christina Nelson, soprano Rebecca Murphy and Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble – my fifth time working with this wonderful ensemble. The conductor was the energetic Paul McCusker and the opera directors were the wonderful Shannen MacNeice and Paddy McEnearney. Many thanks to Artistic Director Dafydd Hall Williams, PRS for their support and to everyone who was involved in the many rehearsals and the two performances.

Listen to The North Wind and the Sun here: https://youtu.be/Xo0p_HgFqKY?si=12Jyfo3SFdrX1Yjg&t=624

More information about Ulster Youth Opera is available here: https://ulstertouringopera.com/our-work/ulster-youth-opera/

Images: The North Wind and the Sun, Milo Winter, Aesop Anthology, 1919

I am an award-winning composer based in County Down, Northern Ireland and I have been composing professionally since 2020. My pieces have been performed throughout Northern and Southern Ireland, in England and in China by artists such as Hard Rain SoloistEnsemble, Cappella Caeciliana, Melisma and many others. I have received commissions and awards from HRSE, ACNI and PRSf.

In 2021 I was named as the winner of the Peter Rosser Foundation/Hard Rain Composition Award for my piece for Pierrot Lunaire ensemble, Dark Measures. In the Charles Wood Festival of Music and Summer School Composition Competition, August 2023, I was awarded first prize for my version of Hail, Gladdening Light by judges John Rutter, Bob Chilcott and David Hill.

My compositions are often inspired by mythological characters, particularly from Ireland, and beautiful poems, landscapes and art. My music is full of complex colours, textures and intricate harmonies.

My most recent compositions include The North Wind and the Sun, a children’s opera performed by Ulster Youth Opera in Belfast in March 2026 and Pierrette for flute, clarinet, violin, cello, piano and percussion, performed by members of Hard Rain Ensemble in collaboration with Hashtag Ensemble from Poland. This piece was broadcast on BBC Radio 3. In April 2025 I was invited to the St Endellion Easter Festival in Cornwall to hear the premiere of my piece, The Forsaken Merman, for soprano, alto, tenor and bass solo voices and violin. This commission was written especially for the festival after I won their composition contest. I am currently working on a large scale choral work and solo pieces for piano and cello. I am honoured to be represented as an Associate Composer by CMC (Contemporary Music Centre, Ireland) https://www.cmc.ie/composers/anita-mawhinney

I live with my husband, our two children, two cats and umpteen tropical fish, near the sea in County Down. I also enjoy cooking, hiking and tropical travel.

You can email me at this address: anitamawhinneycomposer@gmail.com