Overview
Synopsis
Judith Weir鈥檚 The Vanishing Bridegroom consists of three Scottish folktales, connected by the evolution of their central characters.
In 鈥楾he Inheritance鈥� three sons ask their late father鈥檚 friend, the Doctor, for help when their inheritance money is found missing. He tells them a parable of a Bride who swore to love one man, but was forced to marry another. When the Bridegroom finds out about the woman鈥檚 Lover, he gives her back her dowry and sends the Bride back to her Lover. The Lover, however, refuses the money and sends her back to her husband. On the journey back, the Bride is stopped by three Robbers. Two Bad Robbers take her money and run, but the third one helps her to get home. When the Doctor asks the Sons who was the best character in this story, the Youngest Son claims it was the Bad Robbers who ended up with the money, and so the mystery of where the inheritance has gone is solved.
In 鈥楾he Disappearance鈥�, a Husband sets out from home, the night his baby daughter is born, to fetch a priest to christen the baby. On the way, he disappears into a hill. The Husband鈥檚 Friend, who accompanied him, tries to explain to the Policeman that they must wait for him to return. They wait for years, while the baby girl grows into a young woman, and just at the moment when the Policeman decides to arrest the Husband鈥檚 Friend, the Husband returns. He has been away only moments.
In 鈥楾he Stranger鈥�, the Daughter, now a grown woman, meets a Stranger on the hillside who asks her to marry him. She is suspicious of a man with hooves and horns, and her suspicion is confirmed by the Preacher; this man must be the devil himself. Circled by the protection laid down by the Preacher, the Daughter resists every force the devil can summon, using the words of an old folk song for her protection.
Show Information
- Music
- Judith Weir
- Based on the Play/Book/Film
- Taken from Popular Tales of the West Highlands Vol. 2, and Carmina Gadelica Vol. 2.
- Category
- Opera
- Age Guidance
- Youth (Y)/General Audiences (G)
- Number of Acts
- 3
- First Produced
- 1990
- Genres
- Fairy Tale/Fantasy
- Settings
- Fantasy/Imaginary, Multiple Settings, Period
- Time & Place
- Scotland, 19th century
- Cast Size
- large
- Orchestra Size
- Medium
- Dancing
- None
- Licensor
- Ideal For
- Ensemble Cast, Large Cast, Professional Opera, Mostly Male Cast, Includes Young Adult, Adult, Mature Adult, Elderly, Child, Early Teen Characters
Context
Judith Weir鈥檚 The Vanishing Bridegroom could be described as a triptych of miniature operas, as three distinct stories are drawn together into one piece. Unlike 笔耻肠肠颈苍颈鈥檚 Il trittico, perhaps the most famous triptych, in this collection the main narrative flows between the three stories with the use of the main characters in different roles, so a bridegroom becomes a husband, and later a father.
The stories used in this work are all originally drawn
to read the context for The Vanishing Bridegroom and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Plot
Act I: The Inheritance
Three sons are at their dying father鈥檚 bedside (鈥楾here was a man鈥�). A Doctor is also in attendance. The father revives for a moment, and with his last words, tells his sons that there is a sum of money in a chest of drawers (鈥楽ons, my sons!). He instructs them to share it fairly, and to take care of his land. With one last prayer to god, the man draws his last breath and falls back onto the bed (鈥楩arewell to him鈥�).
Excited by the prospect of money, the sons
to read the plot for The Vanishing Bridegroom and to unlock other amazing theatre resources!Characters
| Name | Part Size | Gender | Vocal Part |
|---|---|---|---|
|
Lead |
Female |
Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Female |
Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Lead |
Male |
Baritone, Bass-Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Supporting |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Bass |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Tenor, Baritone |
|
|
Featured |
Male |
Non-singer, Silent |
|
|
Featured |
Female |
Non-singer |
|
|
Ensemble |
Female |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano |
|
|
Ensemble |
Either Gender |
Soprano, Mezzo-Soprano, Tenor, Baritone, Bass, Contralto |
Songs
Act I: The Inheritance
The Deathbed
- 鈥楾here was a man鈥� - Narrator
- 鈥楥old, icy rain鈥� - Eldest Son, Middle Son, Youngest Son, Doctor, Chorus
- The Dying Man sits up 鈥楽ons, my sons!鈥� - Dying Man, Sons
- The Dying Man dies 鈥楩arewell to him鈥�- Sons, Doctor, Chorus
- 鈥楪one!鈥� - Sons
- 鈥業 knew your father certainly鈥� - Doctor, Sons
The Passion
- The Bride and her Lover 鈥楤etween your two arms til morning鈥� - Bride, Doctor, Sons
- The Bride's Father materialises 鈥楬er father discovered their love鈥� - Doctor, Father, Bride, Sons
- The Wedding 鈥業 would sleep wherever his bed might be鈥� - Bride, Bridegroom
- 鈥楬e ended the wedding鈥� - Doctor, Bridegroom, Sons
At the Lover's House
- The Lover appears with a light 鈥榃hat brought thee here?鈥� - Lover, Bride
- A Priest appears 鈥楪loria鈥� - Lover, Priest, Priestly Quartet (Doctor, Sons or Chorus)
The Wood
- The Lover vanishes - Doctor, Thick Wood (Chorus), Bride, Sons
- 鈥業n the trees of the Thick Wood鈥� - Doctor, Thick Wood, 2 Bad Robbers, Good Robber
- 鈥楲et me go!鈥� - Bride, Good Robber, Bad Robbers, Thick Wood
- The Bride and the Good Robber vanish into the distance - Doctor, Good Robber
The Reckoning
- 鈥楴ow. Which of these people 鈥︹€� - Doctor, Male Chorus, Sons
- 鈥楽hame!鈥� - Doctor, Male Chorus, Eldest and Middle Sons
Act II: The Disappearance
The Hill
- Introduction
At Home
- 鈥業 pray Peter鈥� - Wife, Three Women, Husband, Husband鈥檚 Friend
Towards the Hill
- The Husband and the Friend set out - Husband, Husband鈥檚 Friend
- 鈥楾he endless expense鈥� - Husband, Husband鈥檚 Friend. Chorus
At Home
- 鈥楬e just walked out鈥� - Three Women, Wife
- 鈥楶eople just disappear鈥� - Policeman
- The Friend enters, distraught - Friend, Policeman, Three Women, Wife
- 鈥楶eople don't just disappear鈥� - Policeman, Friend, Three Women
The Hill
- 鈥楽hi煤bhlainn leat ro na tr矛 na gleanntan鈥� (I鈥檇 go with you through the three glens) - Chorus
At Home
- 鈥楬e's gone, he's gone鈥� - Women, Two Girls, Wife
The Hill
- 鈥業 think you told me a lie鈥� - Policeman, Friend
- 鈥業 went to the Land of the Living鈥� - Husband, Chorus
- 鈥楥ould you not let me be for an instant?鈥� - Husband, Friend, Daughter, Wife, Women
Act III: The Stranger
- 鈥楾here was a man riding frae the east鈥� - Daughter, Stranger, Chorus
- 鈥榊ou are whiter than the swan鈥� - Stranger, Daughter
- The Stranger performs a miracle 鈥楲o! Lo! Spheres spheres鈥� - Chorus
- 鈥楥ome away with me鈥� - Stranger
- 鈥榃hat a charming young man鈥� - Mother, Father, Daughter, Preacher
- 鈥楬ooves!鈥� - Preacher, Mother, Father
- The Priest marks a circle - Preacher, Chorus
- 鈥楴o fire shall burn me鈥� - Daughter, Stranger
- 鈥楬osts of angels on thy side鈥� - Chorus
A song with an asterisk (*) before the title indicates a dance number; a character listed in a song with an asterisk (*) by the character's name indicates that the character exclusively serves as a dancer in this song, which is sung by other characters.
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Guide Written By:
Wendy Silvester
Singer and vocal coach based in the UK.