- The Trumpet-Major
"The Trumpet-Major" is a novel by
Thomas Hardy , published in1880 .The heroine, Ann Garland, is pursued by three suitors: John Loveday, the trumpet major in a British regiment, honest and loyal; his brother Bob, a merchant seaman and womaniser; and Festus Derriman, the cowardly son of the local squire.
The setting is the
Napoleonic wars , and it seems Miss Garland has a penchant for men in uniform. Of the two brothers, John fights with Wellington in thePeninsular War , and Bob serves with Nelson at Trafalgar.Unusually for a Hardy novel, most of the characters live happily ever after; however, the ending is debatably a happy one.
Opera version
Thomas Hardy's novel provided the source of
Alun Hoddinott 's opera The Trumpet Major, with libretto byMyfanwy Piper , first performed inManchester on1 April 1981 .External links
*gutenberg|no=9435|name=The Trumpet Major
* [http://encyclopedia.farlex.com/Hoddinott,+Alun Hutchinson Encyclopedia: Alun Hoddinott]
* [http://www.italianopera.org/compositori/H/c218599E.htm Italian Opera: Alun Hoddinott]
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