Operas and music-theater works for children “to play and sing”

Jones, Nicholas ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-7098-6114 2026. Operas and music-theater works for children “to play and sing”. Calico, J. H. and Vickers, J., eds. Childhood and the Operatic Imaginary since 1900, New York: Oxford University Press, pp. 193-217. (10.1093/9780197780428.003.0009)

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Abstract

Over the course of his long and distinguished career, Peter Maxwell Davies (1934–2016) wrote nearly ninety works for young performers and amateurs. Composing for children was very important to Davies, and the works he produced in this area reflected a deep desire on his part to create something significant, non-patronizing and challenging. This chapter focuses on the ten works he composed for the stage. These operas and music-theater pieces—for which Davies penned his own libretti—were composed during three periods: 1978–1981, 1988–1992, and 2015. The discussion provides an overview of each period to demonstrate the different ways in which the works engaged with issues relating to contemporary society (such as environmental concerns), Scottish folklore and folk music, matters of autobiography, and genre. The chapter also explores the composer’s passion for and commitment to music education at pre-university level, and his role as community composer.

Item Type:	Book Section
Date Type:	Publication
Status:	Published
Schools:	Schools > Music
Publisher:	Oxford University Press
ISBN:	9780197780398
Last Modified:	08 Jun 2026 11:15
URI:	https://orca.cardiff.ac.uk/id/eprint/187468

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