Eric Wetherell, a gifted conductor, arranger and composer with a lifetime’s experience as a musician, created this new opera after reading a review of a book by Ben Macintyre in The Times that told the true and poignant story of enduring love affair during the First World War, between a French girl and an English soldier. He set the story to music with the librettist Elizabeth Major and a beautiful opera was born.

As first nights go, this could not have been a better one, played to a packed and appreciative house who remained spellbound throughout the three Acts of the opera. Rosie Clifford plays Claire, the young French girl who falls in love with Robert Digby, the English soldier who, together with two others became trapped between enemy lines at the outbreak of war in 1914 and sings with confidence and precision. She displayed all the charm and guile of a young woman in love with passion fuelling her strength to overcome the horrors of the war.

At the heart of the peasant family that takes in Robert and his two soldier friends, is the Grandmother, played by Pamela Rudge, a formidable woman for whom the Bosch hold no fear and she overrides her daughter, Eugenie’s opposition to taking in the fugitives on the grounds of the danger they pose to the family. Paul Arden-Griffith has the role of Tom, the jolly Irishman of the trio and he really entertains with his Irish dancing and I wasn’t surprised to read that tap dancing is part of his résumé!

Simon Woodhead interprets Robert Digby very well; his calm and measured portrayal adds gravitas to the part. It’s a wonderful story all the better for being true, and the excellent cast and orchestra have been more than equal to this ambitious project.