Opera Scotland

Pilgrim's Progress 1952Covent Garden Opera

Read more about the opera Pilgrim's Progress

This two week visit to Glasgow by the Covent Garden company gave Scottish audiences their first opportunity to see two new works - not just the Festival of Britain commission, Billy Budd, but also a fascinating late work by Vaughan Williams, The Pilgrim's Progress.

The schedule for the fortnight was:

Week commencing 17 March: Mon 17  Turandot;  Tue 18  Pilgrim's Progress;  Wed 19 Salome;  Thu 20  Magic Flute; Fri 21  Aïda;  Sat 22 mat  Bohème; Sat 22 eve  Tosca.

Week commencing 24 March: Mon 24  Aïda;  Tue 25  Salome; Wed 26  Magic Flute;  Thu 27  Bohème;  Fri 28  Billy Budd;  Sat 29 mat  Tosca;  Sat 29 eve  Turandot.

Vaughan Williams' morality is full of wonderful music, particularly sections which, while the work was unfinished, were incorporated into his Fifth Symphony and the Ballet Job.  However the pace is leisurely, and there is a lack of dramatic effect.   This first production received three performances at Covent Garden in 1951 and two the following spring during the tour which brought the work to Glasgow.  The staging was, at the time, thought to do the work few favours, and many years passed before its quality was recognised.

Leonard Hancock was chosen by Vaughan Williams to conduct the premiere, and was thought to have done it well.  His career developed in other ways, however, and while he did conduct performances of a wide range of operas throughout his career, with both Sadler's Wells and Scottish Opera, he is remembered as a great coach and teacher, with an enormous range of knowledge.

Cast details are from a copy of the programme for 18 March in the OperaScotland collection.