HANDSTOGETHER

~The Music of Daniel Bath~

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The Forest

The Forest is a one-act opera with libretto by Ian Emberson and music by Daniel Bath.

There are two singers - Boy (baritone) and Girl (mezzo-soprano).

The orchestra consists of piano, harpsichord (both can be played by one musician) and double bass.

The libretto is mostly taken from the one-act play of the same name by Ian Emberson, in which a Boy and a Girl venture into the Forest at dusk and begin to get lost, both in their physical surroundings and in their own imaginings and memories.

The couple journey through many of the most basic human emotions, evoking the moon as their witness and inspiration until jealousy and murder give way to forgiveness and love.

The opera is full of the elemental symbolism found in nature - a feature typical of much of Ian's writings.

It was commissioned for the 2003 Hebden Bridge Arts Festival and its production was funded in part by The Arts Council and in part by private donations.  

The original cast were Abigail Sharp, David Heathcote, Geth Griffith and Daniel Bath.

If you would like to perform The Forest, please contact us.

              artwork from the first performance

composer and librettist

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