Opera Scotland

Bartered Bride 1956Glasgow Grand Opera Society

Read more about the opera Bartered Bride

Glasgow Grand had done The Bartered Bride as recently as 1948, and before that in 1933, so plenty of active members must have had happy memories of such an effervescent piece. The most notable feature of this particular run was the return in the pit of Alexander Gibson to conduct a work he had first done with Sadler's Wells in 1952.

The opera running in tandem during the week was Bellini's Norma, returning to the general repertoire for special occasions following the great success of Maria Callas in the part, at Covent Garden and elsewhere.

Another young musician gaining valuable experience was the company's chorus master, Bryden Thomson, who would eventually be one of Gibson's successors at the helm of the SNO.