the opera and miss alice

No, this was not a kickstarter event.
Rather, "Alice Ryley" is an English opera about the Irish lass who became the ghost of Wright Square, right here in Savannah.
The sad story of Alice Ryley (aka Riley) occurred in the early days of Savannah's beginnings, back in the 1930's. A poor lass, she came to America as an indentured servant and worked for a cruel master, William Wise. She was in love with Richard White, an Irishman who had traveled on the ship with her and who was also an indentured servant to the evil old man. One day, the pair have had enough of the torture - and Richard kills their master.
Richard pays with his neck in a noose.
Alice would have met the same fate had she not been pregnant.
Instead, the jailors allow her to bear the child...and then she is hanged.
The story goes that she wanders Wright Square, where she met her fate, looking for her son.
Sadly, the child died shortly after she did.
The tale is oft told by the many tour guides that lead Savannah's visitors through the squares on dark evenings.
The primary reason the tale is so popular is no doubt because Alice was the first woman hanged in Savannah.
The one-act piece based on her short time in America was commissioned in honor of Sherrill Milnes' 80th birthday, as well as the 50th Anniversary of his career. That was in 2015, the same year that the Savannah Music Festival partnered with the Savannah VOICE Program to bring the two Puccini operas that I so loved!
The opera about Miss Ryley, written by Michael Ching, had its premiere performance at the Savannah VOICE Festival last year. Sadly, I was unable to go. (As I recall, it was held on a Wednesday evening.)
Fast forward to this year's SVF.
This year, the opera was featured on August 16th, a Tuesday, at 5:30 pm, in late afternoon.
A Tuesday!
That meant I could go!
So I bought my ticket to see this special piece performed for the second time ever.
That was two weeks ago.
Instead of attending, however, I was still on the shuttle, returning from the VA Hospital in Charleston.
There was no possible way for me to see the 55-minute opera.
So, rather than ask for my money to be returned, I am treating it as a gift to the festival, in honor of my birthday:58.
(By the way, it is the year of birthday:58 for the author of the opera, too!)
Here's hoping that my forty dollar donation will allow more VOICES to be raised in the glory of song!