Testament

Grimeborn Opera Festival, Arcola Theatre · 2025

“This is a program about storytelling. All three of the majorworks are narrated by characters reflecting on the lives they’ve lived, and considering their place in the world and their legacy. In shaping the program, I was interested in the interplay between human drama and the earth upon which it plays out- an interplay that feels particularly dynamic in a time of climate change, environmental turbulence and global conflict.

To that end, the combination of Monteverdi’s Il combattimento di Tancredi e Clorinda, Libby Larsen’s Try Me, Good King and Leoš Janaček’s The Diary of One Who Disappeared felt particularly potent. I have also included Dowland’s In Darkness Let Me Dwell and Thomas Weelkes’ short madrigal, The Nightingale, as a reflection on the power of the animal and plant kingdom to survive, and to dictate its own terms harmoniously.

The idea that nature will take its course regardless of human greed, corruption and violence is part of what sits at the heart of TESTAMENT. Within this idea I hope that our audience is able to reflect upon the transformative power of night and nature to reveal our hidden truths, and to celebrate our shared humanity.”

Brenton Spiteri