A close reading of the Genesis story, Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo lightheartedly chronicles the adventures of Noah, charged by God to build an ark in order to preserve mankind and all the creatures of Earth. The work opens with God voicing his displeasure with man. Noah is then commanded to build an ark of gopher wood and fill it with pairs of animals—one male and one female—in spite of the constant mocking by the sinful citizens of Fun City. Accompanied by a Latin-American samba rhythm, Noah and his family then load the ark with one pair of every animal imaginable "from antelope to zebra...one pair of each, just as the Lord had planned." Aboard the ark, forty days and forty nights of ceaseless rain takes its toll, but the mood changes both dramatically and musically when the rain finally stops. Spirits begin to lift while the musical accompaniment shifts from percussive, raindrop-like figures to a swaying gesture reminiscent of gentle ocean waves. As the floodwaters subside, Noah enlists a terrified raven to scout for dry land. Following a short, unsuccessful survey of the watery landscape the affrighted raven succumbs to a moment of literary allusion croaking "Nevermore!". The following week a dove is sent forth and subsequently returns with an olive branch, an indication of dry land. Shortly thereafter, God commands Noah to emerge from the ark. The work closes with a waltz as God avows never to send another flood, a pledge confirmed by the newly created rainbow.
Performance
Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo was conceived as an accommodating work. In the Preface to the Novello edition the authors indicate that they "hope it will be useful wherever and whenever groups of singers and musicians need a work of some length to perform together, and that they will arrange, divide and adapt it as best suits their available talent and the occasion." The instrumental possibilities are similarly wide-ranging. Instrumental accompaniment may vary, including solo piano and/or guitar with any of the following instruments: bass, drums, maracas, claves, tambourines and other percussion instruments for special effects. The work, however, does not rely on special effects or other theatrical devices as it was originally conceived as a choral piece. Nevertheless, the authors acknowledge, "semi-dramatic effects or stagings may suggest themselves." Captain Noah was recorded by The King’s Singers. One of the ensemble's earliest recordings, the performance features Joseph Horovitz at the piano. The work was also commercially recorded as an animated version intended for television broadcast. In late 2016 the Zemel Choir began a Kickstarter campaign to create an animated version of Captain Noah.
Reception
Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo has become a favourite among sacred and secular institutions alike. Relatively short and intended for children, the work has been successfully adapted for adult performers, with the aforementioned recording by The King’s Singers being one such example. Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo has also been the subject of critical praise. The work received the 1976 Ivor Novello Award for the Best British Work for Children; meanwhile, The Birmingham Post critic Kenneth Dommett stated, "Joseph Horovitz's Captain Noah and His Floating Zoo is an established favourite wherever and however it is performed...the immensely witty and skilful libretto by Michael Flanders makes it a sure fire winner."
