''On London Fields'' is an opera in two acts by Matthew King with a

libretto A libretto (Italian for "booklet") is the text used in, or intended for, an extended musical work such as an opera, operetta, masque, oratorio, cantata or Musical theatre, musical. The term ''libretto'' is also sometimes used to refer to the t ...

Alasdair Middleton Alasdair Middleton is a leading British opera librettist and playwright with librettos commissioned by the Royal Opera House, Opera North and the Berlin Philharmonic among others. He is responsible for a series of important operatic collaborations w ...

, notable for its use of multiple ensembles and choruses. Some of the music was devised during a series of improvisational workshops. It was commissioned by Hackney Music Development Trust and premiered in the

Hackney Empire Hackney Empire is a theatre on Mare Street, in the London Borough of Hackney. Originally designed by Frank Matcham it was built in 1901 as a music hall, and expanded in 2001. Described by ''The Guardian'' as ‘the most beautiful theatre in Lon ...

theatre in 2004. The opera has been described by the novelist,

Margaret Drabble Dame Margaret Drabble, Lady Holroyd, (born 5 June 1939) is an English biographer, novelist and short story writer. Drabble's books include '' The Millstone'' (1965), which won the following year's John Llewellyn Rhys Memorial Prize, and ''Jer ...

as "one of the most exciting community events I’ve ever seen." The story concerns the life and prophecies of the 17th Century mystic and resident of Hackney, Hannah Trapnell. The opera is set in Hackney during the oppressive reign of

Oliver Cromwell Oliver Cromwell (25 April 15993 September 1658) was an English politician and military officer who is widely regarded as one of the most important statesmen in English history. He came to prominence during the 1639 to 1651 Wars of the Three Ki ...

. Hannah leads the people of Hackney on to

London Fields London Fields is a park in Hackney, London, although the name also refers to the immediate area in Hackney surrounding it and London Fields station. It is common land adjoining the Hackney Central area of the London Borough of Hackney. The p ...

where, in a series of increasingly vivid prophecies, she sings of a new proto-Marxist Kingdom of Heaven. Among her followers are an idealistic young couple called Deborah and Abel. Eventually the meeting is brutally suppressed by a group of

Puritan The Puritans were English Protestants in the 16th and 17th centuries who sought to purify the Church of England of Catholic Church, Roman Catholic practices, maintaining that the Church of England had not been fully reformed and should become m ...

soldiers led by Sir Bawnagayne Surly. Abel tries to oppose the soldiers and is killed. The opera ends with his young widow singing a poignant lullaby to the couple's unborn child. For the original production Matthew King composed for a cast of four professional singers (Sally Burgess, Alison Buchanan, Simon Thorpe and Jonathan Gunthorpe) and several choruses of Hackney residents, including a children's choir and a Gospel choir. The orchestra was the

Academy of St. Martin in the Fields The Academy of St Martin in the Fields (ASMF) is an English chamber orchestra, based in London. John Churchill, then Master of Music at the London church of St Martin-in-the-Fields, and Neville Marriner founded the orchestra as "The Academy of ...

, supported by ''Young Jazz Hackney''; the

Cambridge Heath Cambridge Heath is an urban area of Bethnal Green in the London Borough of Tower Hamlets, approximately north east of Charing Cross. It is named after a former heath in the East End of London. The northern boundary is formed by the Regent's Can ...

Salvation Army Band A Salvation Army brass band is a brass band affiliated with a Corps, Division or Territory of the Salvation Army. In society, a Salvation Army band playing in public places during Christian events in the calendar such as Christmas has become a ...

; Hackney

Centre for Young Musicians The Centre for Young Musicians, or CYM, is a Saturday music centre in London, England, for children up to 18 who play a musical instrument, currently run by Stephen Dagg. Intermediate beginners are eligible for the school, although there is an a ...

, a Turkish Saz band and an African Drumming group called ''Emashi''. The opera makes use of spatial distribution of players and instrumentalists with the brass band playing in the upper circle of the theatre and other groups distributed around the building and off-stage. The opera critic and musicologist,

Rodney Milnes Rodney Milnes Blumer OBE (26 July 1936 – 5 December 2015) was an English music critic, musicologist, writer, translator and broadcaster, with a particular interest in opera.Rodney Milnes. ''The New Grove Dictionary of Opera''. Macmillan, ...

, described the event in the following terms:

The scale was daunting. There were five orchestras, with the Academy of St Martin in the Fields in the pit, plus jazz and brass bands ( Henze would like that) dotted about the auditorium...There were more than 150 singers, of every known age, race and gender.

Writing in

The Evening Standard The ''Evening Standard'', formerly ''The Standard'' (1827–1904), also known as the ''London Evening Standard'', is a local free daily newspaper in London, England, published Monday to Friday in tabloid format. In October 2009, after be ...

, Stephen Pettitt was also largely enthusiastic about the work:

King's music is eminently approachable, veering between jazz and a sort of energetic minimalism. Even so, he’s unafraid of complexity, even when writing for very young performers. Some of the clashing rhythms and textural layerings are mind-boggling.

In 2005 ''On London Fields'' received the

Royal Philharmonic Society The Royal Philharmonic Society (RPS) is a British music society, formed in 1813. Its original purpose was to promote performances of instrumental music in London. Many composers and performers have taken part in its concerts. It is now a memb ...

Education Award.

References

External links

Official Hackney Music Development Trust Website {{DEFAULTSORT:On London Fields (Opera) English-language operas 2004 operas Operas Compositions by Matthew King