Grace Williams: The Parlour - An Opera in One Act

"One remarkable feature of the work is the fact that Williams wrote her own libretto and made an excellent job of it, using some very sophisticated rhyme schemes, but without making anything sound forced or unnatural. The structure is in two scenes which frame a brief interlude and the drama unfolds during the course of one summer’s day in 1870 in a house in a Victorian seaside town.

The cast is drawn from the best of the English language singers of opera from the time when British singers rarely sang in any tongue other than their own. The pace is fast; there are few moments of repose and Williams contrives to provide vocal lines which successfully mimic the speed and energy of speech. Jean Allister sings the role of Aunt Genevieve, Mama’s sister. Her many years with the D’Oyly Carte Opera Company had clearly made the clear projection of the text second nature to her, but all the cast match her and are thoroughly engaged in the drama.  

Williams uses a surprisingly large orchestra, but with great subtlety. The balance between the orchestra and the voices sounds completely natural, as does the recorded mono sound, which after 60 years seems remarkably fresh.

This is a most enjoyable release of a short British opera which deserves to be much better known and Lyrita should be thanked for affording us the opportunity to hear such a rarity." Martyn Strachan, British Music Society

"The two scenes frame a brief interlude and reveal Grace Williams’ skill at writing for the theatre. It’s a fast paced piece with compact arias, ensembles, recitatives and choruses." British Music Society 

"There are countless places in the score where I caught myself smiling at the little turns of phrase in the orchestra and the themes Williams constructs to introduce a character or set a scene here and there. There are several little interludes dotted around the piece where you will notice her ability to paint masterfully with tone colour and melody. Her skills in orchestration at this time were well known. She also writes very effectively for the chorus, notably at the start of scene 2 although by the time the production made it back to Cardiff, I am sure their ensemble was a little tighter than it was here on the North Wales coast.

The opera is fast moving and strongly formed thematically. It moves lightly and there is plenty of variety. I enjoyed the rhyming libretto too, very much of its period. When I look at that list again of 1960s hit operas, I have to say The Parlour seems to breathe the air of a slightly earlier age, maybe more akin to the works of that new Elizabethan era that glowed in the England of the mid-1950s. I was sincerely glad to hear it though and believe I would have relished it at the time, not least as I would have got to hear Marie Collier as Giorgetta in the accompanying Il tabarro. When The Parlour made it to Cardiff in September 1966 for its second showing there, the houses were not quite so full as the previous May. That September, the big draw was Geraint Evans in Don Pasquale. Grace Williams didn’t write another opera and this one deserves revival. A nice new recording would be lovely to supplement this treasure, too. Might I suggest John Andrews, who recorded a splendid Williams disc recently (review) might be prevailed upon?" Philip Harrison, MusicWeb International 

"The singers, the chorus and the orchestra show that the quality of the Welsh National Opera was high in 1966 and this a unique addition to the library of Welsh 20th Century music." (translated from Welsh) Barn Magazine 

"The Parlour is a little gem of opera: a unique, intense and agile act, with a brilliant orchestration that combines humour, social satire and the unmistakable British style of Grace Williams. Although for years it has been relegated from contemporary repertoires, it is currently recovered as a key work to understand the evolution and singular voice of this Welsh composer." Carme Miró, Sonogram Magazine 

"Conservative but confident writing with theatrical flair, undermined a little by the distant mono orchestral sound. Nonetheless an essential addition to the Grace Williams revival." (Archive choice) BBC Music Magazine

"It does, not least owing to the excellence of this performance. WNO did not then have its own orchestra, but the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra is more than equal to the task of projecting Williams’s eventful score with the necessary clarity and verve, while it responds with alacrity to the direction of the company’s then music director Bryan Balkwill. The mono broadcast has come up more than adequately in its remastering, and this set comes with the full libretto and insightful annotations from Paul Conway in what is a typically excellent Lyrita presentation.  The Parlour is unlikely to have a professional staging any time soon, making this release of more than archival interest. Could Lyrita acquire the 1963 broadcast of Daniel Jones’s The Knife, intended to be staged with the Williams in what would have been a weighty double-bill." Richard Whitehouse, Arcana 

"...her own voice shines through powerfully and this realistically recorded performance, albeit in rather rough sound to modern ears, fills an important gap in her steadily growing discography." Geraint Lewis, Gramophone 

"The opera was commissioned by the Welsh Committee of the Arts Council of Wales, and is based on the short story “En Famille” by French author Guy de Maupassant. Williams wrote the English language libretto about conniving relatives gathered in rapt anticipation of the death of their wealthy grandmother. The main alteration from Maupassant’s story was the change in setting from the banks of the Seine River in France to a living room in a Victorian English town in 1870.

Conductor Brian Balkwill knows his way around the opera, and the orchestra is good. Two booklets come with this: one with information about Williams and the opera, the other with the complete libretto. This monaural recording was taken from a 1966 radio broadcast and sounds quite good. Grace Williams wrote a lot of fine music for orchestra. Worth seeking out are Fanta sia on Welsh Nursery Tunes, Sea Sketches, Penillion for Orchestra, Ballads for Orchestra, and a trumpet concerto. She also wrote a lot for chorus: The Dancers, Missa Cambrensis, Ave Maria Stella (Fairest of Stars), etc., as well as plenty of chamber and solo works." HECHT, American Record Guide 

"This is a witty, fast-paced and compact work, reminiscent of Britten’s Albert Herring, with the libretto written by the composer herself. The cast is a stalwart British cast from the 1960s led by the slightly over-the-top Coates. Berry is superb though as the daughter-in-law. The orchestra members play their hearts out under Balkwill; it is a shame the live recording is not brighter. Although the voices are easily heard, not much orchestral detail is, bar the percussion. The sound of a live performance is certainly caught, with plenty of stage noise. Notes and libretto are supplied by Lyrita, but everyone does have excellent diction. This is a rare outing for this Grace Williams work and this vintage recording is a jolly listen. Give it a try." David Cutler, Fanfare, 2026