Aquilon Music Festival presents OURLAND, an opera in 12 scenes recently composed by Paul Davies with a libretto by Daniel Helfgot. Ourland is a dystopian state where many societies can easily find themselves reflected. It is the story of Othien, a young man who was born across the border and now lives in Ourland with his adoptive parents and their daughter Landsis. Othien is being scrutinized by a military Doctor, a Churchman, and a Policewoman. Eventually, a Foreign Woman, Othien’s birth mother, crosses the border to see her estranged son but her visit cannot prevent an unfortunate outcome.

OURLAND, Helfgot’s second major opera libretto, tackles the subject of the life and death consequences of bigotry, suspicion, resentment, and hate of the foreigner. Daniel Helfgot saw that there was an opera waiting to be written, an opera about intolerance towards the ‘other’, the foreigner, the different, the minorities.

Paul Davies’ first opera, CARLOTA, Empress of Mexico, addressed the issue of a foreign power intruding in the lives of Mexicans, utilizing a unique musical idiom to flesh out the tragedy of someone transplanted into an intolerant populace. His own Mexican heritage gives Mr. Davies the tools to express cross-cultural­­ scenarios as he does again in OURLAND, a Dystopian State.

This work is performed by the young artists of the Aquilon Music Festival with the accompaniment of a chamber orchestra.

CONTENT WARNING: due to the heavy nature of the subject matter, this performance is not suitable for children.