A new work inspired by Hardy from Dorset Opera 

Dorset is Thomas Hardy country. Just the place then for an opera closely based on his early novel Under the Greenwood Tree , and Dorset Opera have produced one in a splendid staging for their fiftieth anniversary year. The essential story is that the new young schoolteacher, Miss Fancy Day, attracts the amorous attentions of three young men: the honest and down to earth Dick Dewy, the new parson, the Revd Maybold, who has ideas of changing the music for the choir, and Mr Shiner, a wealthy young farmer. They all adore her, but it becomes clear that she prefers Dick Dewy. Indeed she loves him in return, but doesn’t want to offend local sensibilities or find herself compromised.

Hardy peopled his novel with an array of minor characters, notably members of the local quire which created music for church services before the advent of the mechanical organ, called a harmonium. This instrument, played by a single person, was replacing the old village quires that had been providing music and male voices for hundreds of years. It was a huge change, causing some political unrest in church and village life, and Miss Day’s ability to play the harmonium is about to usurp the job of the rustics who form the quire, among whom is Dick Dewy.

The composer of this opera, Paul Carr, is the son of a soprano and a stage manager, and has complemented his brilliant musicianship with a career in stage management. He teamed up with Euan Tait on the libretto, and they have included some of Hardy’s original dialogue in slightly more modern language. Under the Greenwood Tree is a charming romantic tale in a relatively short book, and the four acts of this opera are spread over four seasons beginning with winter. In case this sounds long, the whole thing lasts under two hours, which with a long interval for refreshment is just right. This is a beautifully crafted work enhanced by a terrific performance.

The chorus were magnificent, and the soloists fulfilled their roles to perfection. Jamie Groote as Miss Fancy Day exhibited just the right level of coquettishness, and her soliloquy at the start of the second half was sung with affecting warmth and humility. No wonder the young men, Felix Kemp as a quietly impassioned Dick Dewy, along with Ossian Huskinson as an engagingly attractive Shiner, and Thomas Humphreys as a serious and determined Maybold, are beside themselves with admiration and thoughts of marriage.

Paul Carr’s music embraces some excellent scenes such as a trio for the three men and a magnificent storm that brings in the chorus with umbrellas. Not only was he the composer but also the director, giving us a wonderful unity of music and staging. Set designs by Rufus Martin evinced a village in nineteenth century Dorset (the novel was published in 1872), allowing effortless on-stage scene changes, and creating just the right atmosphere.

Under the baton of Jeremy Carnall, who also played a vital role in the opera’s creation, the orchestra played superbly. The music left me with a feeling of inspired serenity. If only opera could more consistently leave its audience so moved.

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