THE HAPPY PRINCE
Children's opera in one act by Malcolm Williamson, libretto by Malcolm Williamson after the story by Oscar Wilde
Synopsis
The poverty and misery of the city compare sadly with the golden statue of the Happy Prince. A swallow, the Prince's messenger, distributes the Prince's gold and jewels to the poor and needy, but the swallow dies of the winder cold and is thrown into the furnace along with the stripped statue. Four angels point out the moral that the leaden heart of the prince, which will not burn, and the dead bird are the most precious things in the whole city.
Suitable for secondary or ambitious juniors.
Duration 40 minutes.
Cast:
8 female (or 4 female), 4 male, chorus
Instrumentation:
Piano duet, percussion, opt. string quartet
Printed Editions: Vocal Score, Libretto, Chorus part.