PERFORMANCE OF THE LIGHT’NER OF THE STARS

Londinium celebrates the wonderful a cappella music of Ralph Vaughan Williams to mark 150 years since his birth. Alongside a generous selection of Vaughan Williams' own works, including the classic Valiant-for-Truth and Three Shakespeare Songs, we perform music by his teachers Parry, Stanford and Ravel, and by his students Ina Boyle, Imogen Holst and Elizabeth Maconchy, as well as gems by his close friends Gustav Holst and Finzi.

Ina Boyle’s “opera for children” the Maudlin of Paplewick (1964), with words by Ben Jonson will be performed as a recital at the 2021 Blackwater Valley Opera Festival.

Robert Schumann once said, “Without craftsmanship, inspiration is a mere reed shaken in the wind.” This quote is a pertinent reminder of the gruelling work of composers, who spend countless hours perfecting every note and bar of music before a composition can come to life. While promoting upcoming Irish performers is central to BVOF, celebrating Irish composers goes hand in hand with this aim. In 2021, we will be celebrating Ina Boyle (1889-1967).

This summer, we welcome the return of the works of Ina Boyle to the Festival. Boyle’s work was performed in 2018 at BVOF by Swiss cellist Nadège Rochat at a hugely successful recital. We are honoured to be staging the world premiere of Boyle’s “opera for children” Maudlin of Paplewick.

The fanciful plot of Maudlin of Paplewick follows the story of a wicked witch, the eponymous heroine. The pastoral story unfolds in Paplewick, a medieval village in Nottinghamshire that once marked the entrance to Sherwood Forest (where Robin Hood and his merry men rule). Boyle described the opera as “quite gentle and kindly … it is very unpretentious”. Like many celebrated children’s works, Maudlin of Paplewick is driven by the power of good over evil and is sure to become beloved by both young and old.

We are thrilled to bring this touching, joyful opera to life in its world premiere, 57 years after it was first completed. St. Carthage’s Cathedral is the dream setting for Maudlin of Paplewick as it is an ancient site where history, holiness and human warmth come together.

This concert performance also marks a formal collaboration between BVOF and the Royal Irish Academy of Music.