Night Passage

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NIGHT PASSAGE
an opera for men's chorus and chamber ensemble
Music by Robert Moran
Libretto by James Skofield

"Night Passage" commissioned and composed in 1994
by the Seattle Men's Chorus conducted by Dennis Coleman
was premiered in April 1995
exactly 100 years after the actual historical event had happened in London.


written for chorus, with various individual characters taken by
more than one singer; for example, one character might be sung by
10 baritones, another character by 15 tenors,
depending upon the size and quality of the chorus

The six performances of this 35 minute opera
were received by a most enthusiastic public.

The opera's original source comes from the day that Oscar Wilde was
arrested.  According to historians, on the evening of this arrest, over
600 men of all walks of life boarded the train at London's Victoria Station
taking them to Dover and the boat over to Calais, France.  Usually this
late-evening boat ride had a total of approximately 25 passengers.
These men, fearing a 'witch hunt' for by the authorities and press alike,
left homes, careers, families, lovers, property and titles to live in France
and away from such repression.
The opera 'travels' at many levels, with the numerous male characters
internal monologues representing the various personalities.
As the opera concludes, the passengers, traveling on this calm
channel trip, view the stars and then the arrival of the sun and
a new day.

The instrumental ensemble consists of:
flute/piccolo, clarinet/bass clarinet, horn, harp, synthesizer,
string quartet (or, if possible, string section) and percussion (one player)

Percussion:  chimes, vibraphone, large suspended cymbal, 3 timbales,
2 timpani, bass drum, large tam


NIGHT PASSAGE had its second production via
the Heartland Men's Chorus in Kansas City, MI;
the third production was via the Los Angeles Gay Men's Chorus.