Overture: 'John Socman'
George Lloyd - Overture 'John Socman'
Small orchestra 5' 30"
George Lloyd was commissioned to write his third opera, 'John Socman' for the Festival of Britain in 1951. The production toured the UK with the Carl Rosa Company throughout 1951. In spite of severe production problems which resulted in the conductor and producer refusing to speak to each other, the opera was generally well received.
A stirring and intensely dramatic opera … it has tremendous vitality. Lloyd's work is grand, full of power and vision, culminating in a magnificent chorus. It deserves a permanent place in the repertory. The opera was given a most enthusiastic reception… The Stage
Mr Lloyd has, to his abundant credit, attempted to achieve a happy medium between modern idioms and traditional tunefulness. To put it another way, he has tried to give us a really “singable” and therefore entertaining opera. Glasgow Herald
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