Thomas the Rhymer is a new opera based on the legendary adventures of the medieval Scottish poet/prophet who was popularized by Sir Walter Scott and others. The opera explores the seduction of "True Thomas" by the Queen of Fairyland. She takes him on an epic descent into the underworld, which culminates in a “Devil’s Dance” in the court of Fairyland as primordial forces vie for Thomas’ soul. 

The opera is brought to life by a cast of fourteen singers and a five-piece orchestra performing an original score by Matt Gillespie, who blends medieval music with contemporary orchestration. Written by librettist Kip Soteres, Thomas the Rhymer has elements to please fans of Scottish history and heritage, lovers of supernatural stories, and anyone interested in medieval music and literature. 

Download the libretto at www.aria412pgh.com

Performance Parking - October 18 & 19

Park at the Western Pennsylvania School for the Deaf or you can use street parking if you prefer. 

Enter and exit from School Street - this is the street that runs to the left of the church. Drive straight beside the church on School Street and then turn left (about half way up the street) into the lot where it says do not enter. The gates will be open. Do not drive straight up to the guard's gate. 

The gate will remain open and the guard at that location will monitor the parking lot. 

Plot Summary

Three supplicants have come to have their futures confirmed by Scotland’s Nostradamus, Thomas the Rhymer. Being young, they feel certain that they know what’s ahead for them and it will be good. Thomas tries to deflect them, but they persist and learn that they are in for hard fates. The men react with bluster and resignation, but the woman lingers to ask Thomas how he became this way.

The next scene opens on Young Thomas writing letters of seduction. He rationalizes his actions as natural – as animals use devices to hunt and avoid capture, so do people use words. The Lady in Gray appears, who he promptly woos, but the tables turn. Her beguiling ambiguity enthralls him. She demands an oath of devotion, but Thomas has nothing to swear on so he asks her permission to swear on Nothing until he can figure out what he cares about enough to bind him.

That done, the Lady in Gray transforms to hag and mocks Thomas for his folly. She leads him on a harrowing journey straight down into darkness and through a lake of blood. Thomas soaks in the blood and emerges at a crossroads between Heaven, Hell, and Purgatory. The spirits of each place feel entitled to his soul and struggle over who will get him, shouting that there’s always room for one more.

The hag and Thomas escape by a small path that leads to Fairyland, where she transforms to the Queen of Fairyland. The Devil has made it his second home, and she needs Thomas’ help to expel him. He must not speak as the Devil forces them to partake of the Devil’s dance. Pushed to final extremes and fueled by his concern for his lady, Thomas cannot stay silent. The Devil maintains his hold on Fairyland. The Queen pronounces punishment by casting a spell on Thomas that divides him: his doomed self will stay with her, his “purified” self will return to the world, only now with the curse of prophecy and the inability to lie.

We return to old Thomas with the woman supplicant. He obsesses upon his baptism in the lake of blood and reveals that every time he wishes to lie, he bleeds. His body marred by many seeping wounds from this ordeal. He is tormented by his decision to swear on Nothing, and his devotion to ambiguity has led him to this endlessly unresolved state, yet he cannot help but hope for better. Perhaps one day some wight will follow the Queen of Fairyland, stay silent, and free them of the Devil’s blight.

We are "By Pittsburgh, for Pittsburgh." Aria412 is radically committed to accessibility for regional audiences and for the local Pittsburgh community of singers. We achieve this with fun, accessible, free or highly affordable programming in casual, public spaces, with a range of music that highlights the incredible talents of Pittsburgh classical singers and supporting artists. 

Aria412 started producing monthly shows in April 2017 and now has a growing list of followers and venues. Currently, Aria412 can be seen at Hop Farm Brewing. We feature a mix of established Pittsburgh singers and young local performers to stretch their repertoires and showcase their talents. We have successfully designed our concerts to bring in a mix of new audiences in addition to lovers of opera and the live performing arts. By performing in a relaxed setting, we have been able to bring in people who might not have gone to this type of show. The shows are all themed and rehearsed with music selected to surprise and delight our audience. We are especially proud of the innovative ways that we continued to operate via Zoom concerts, video performances, and outdoor venues, through the pandemic, giving paid opportunities for singers during a very difficult time for many performers. Learn more about us at www.aria412pgh.com.