I was asked to write the libretto for an opera on the theme of the Welsh saint Melangell by the composer Jules Riley, who had been very impressed by the church and its setting at Pennant Melangell. I chose to write it in Welsh and drafted what became Act II about her time in Wales and when that gained his approval wrote Act I about her time in Ireland. I had in mind the limited staging facilities at the Tabernacl in Machynlleth, where there is lighting and back projection.
I am grateful to Hugh Parry (the Woolgatherer) for his advice on the English translation, and for his suggestion that it would perhaps best be performed as an oratorio. The Welsh original will be amended in line with his suggestions and uploaded in the near future.
The greater part of the score of Act I has been written and a performance of the overture is planned for autumn 2023. A number of the arias could be performed as songs.
Mary Burdett-Jones February 2023