Performance History
The Covent Garden performances were not a success, and the company dropped the opera from its repertoire in 1952. However, a student production at the University of Cambridge in 1954 met with greater approval from the composer, notably for the performance of John Noble as Pilgrim. John Noble later recorded the role in the recording conducted by Sir Adrian Boult in 1970-71 (see Recordings below).
The North American premiere was in 1968, at the Brigham Young University Opera Workshop. In 1972, the year of the centenary of the composer's birth, the work was staged at Charterhouse School, where the composer was educated, conducted by William Llewellyn and produced by Geoffrey Ford, again with John Noble as Pilgrim. It was staged again in 1992 at the Royal Northern College of Music, with Joseph Ward directing, Igor Kennaway conducting, and Richard Whitehouse singing the role of Pilgrim. Joseph Ward also directed the opera's Australian premiere in 2002 as part of the Brisbane Festival. Three semi-staged productions were performed between 1997 and 2008, conducted by Richard Hickox, who also conducted a concert performance for Opera Australia in 2008.
A major staged production was produced by English National Opera at the Coliseum in November 2012, conducted by Martyn Brabbins and directed by Yoshi Oida, with Roland Wood as Pilgrim.
Read more about this topic: The Pilgrim's Progress (opera)
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