Thirty children, aged nine and 10, are jumping and running around, pretending to be woodland animals. They are amazingly convincing. They sound good, too. The most noticeable thing, though, is their enthusiasm. These kids are having the time of their lives.

I’m at Stokenchurch Primary School, watching a rehearsal for Road Rage, a specially commissioned piece by Garsington Opera involving 80 children from three local infant and primary schools and 100 members of Garsington’s youth and adult groups, as well as four soloists from the opera company. Cast ages range from six to 86.“I love acting and singing, so I was up for it straightaway,” Devon, 10, tells me. “I’m a bit nervous but excited.”

“In our Christmas production I had one of the main parts so I decided to join,” adds nine-year-old Alex. “I was very lucky as I was the 28th out of the 30 from this school to get in.”

Forward wind two months and I’m at Lord Williams’s School in Thame, this time watching the adults being put through their paces. Director Karen Gillingham, who has been part of Garsington’s education team for six years, is very exacting; movement, body language and facial expressions are all carefully explored. This attention to detail is paying off, too; even in a school sports hall, with makeshift scenery, this is starting to look seriously impressive. “It’s a unique opportunity for them,” says Karen. “There’s huge enthusiasm. Everybody gets more and more into it, and it’s lovely when that happens.

“We wanted it to be very much the community performing. They drive the story forward. But it’s great for them – working with professionals this way ups the standard.”

The hour-long opera was conceived via a series of community workshops last year, and tells the story of a village divided by plans to build a toll road. Creating the piece has been in the very capable hands of librettist Richard Stilgoe (co-writer of Starlight Express and Cats) and respected composer Orlando Gough.

“We had a very enjoyable time workshopping to find out what local people were thinking and what would interest them as the subject of an opera, and that was good fun,” says Orlando. “Lots of ideas came up, and we chose this one. “It’s a modern piece about something people are very familiar with. And it’s very funny. So it’s got a lot going for it, I think, and will hopefully seduce more people into the world of opera.”

“It has been wonderful fun working with the people who are going to be in it,” adds Richard. “And they do seem to be enjoying it. “The most satisfaction has been that the first time we did workshops, and we told everybody the story and played them a bit of the music, and everybody said they’d like to be part of it. And that’s terribly gratifying.

“I know from experience people will remember it forever, and they’ll make friends. And that’s lovely, the uniting force of it.”

Opera Pavilion, Wormsley July 19 and 20 Tickets: 01865 361636 or visit garsingtonopera.org