Nora at the Altar-Rail

Nora at the Altar-Rail is a one-act opera by Jay Anthony Gach, to a libretto by Royce Vavrek. The libretto is based on the Book of Genesis and inspired by Thomas Hardy's poem "At the Altar-Rail" which is prominently featured in the piece.

Written while Vavrek and Gach were in residence at the American Lyric Theater, the opera was performed in concert in the Leonard Nimoy Thalia Theatre in the Symphony Space in Manhattan, New York, on 7 January 2008.^[1]

Roles and role creators

• Nora (soprano), Colleen McGrath^[2]
• Anders (tenor), Edwin Vega
• Lars (baritone), Christopher Burchett

Scenes

• Prologue, North Dakota — Nora
• Scene 1, The kitchen in the farmhouse — Lars, Nora
• Scene 2, The bookstore in town — Anders, Nora
• Scene 3, The living room in the farm house Lars, Nora

Duration: 20 minutes.

References

1. ^ Playbill News: Free Opera in Eden Concert to Feature Tony Winner Chuck Cooper Jan. 7 (26 December 2007)
2. ^ Colleen McGrath, résumé

External links

• Thomas Hardy: Satires Of Circumstance: IX. "At the Altar-Rail"
• Score of Nora at the Altar-Rail (vocal parts and piano accompaniment