Archival Recording, performed by students in the Music and Dance Department at Swarthmore College, May 2015.

The Royal Singer centers on a singing contest.  After the old Royal Singer falls into a vat of honey, the Royal Messenger announces a contest to find a new singer. Professor Song – who in youth was passed over for the position – hopes that her child, Bo, will win this contest. But Bo doesn’t take the competition seriously, and also doesn’t sing very well.

In this scene, Professor Song brings Bo together with the students from her singing school – Ray, Mi, Cha, Kai, and Woo – for voice lessons. But instead of learning from her, all they do is fight about who will win the prize.

A new chamber opera, based on an infamous 19^th century scandal.  Englishwoman Isabella Robinson wrote diary entries detailing an extramarital affair.  After her abusive husband stole and published her diary, she fought valiantly against a legal system that regarded her as property. A story of marital deceit and violated privacy that resonates powerfully in the era of non-consensual sexting and #MeToo. 

Duration: approximately 1 hour

Principal Characters: (voice parts not yet assigned)

Isabella Robinson

Henry Robinson

Dr. Edward Lane

Chorus: 4 singers

Orchestra: 8-10 musicians

Expected date of completion: summer 2025