Why an Opera? Well, perhaps apart from having a little fun, an opera seems to capture the drama and the tide of events in this account ...
Lets have a brief exploration of how opera is structured ... and see how this fits Samuel's story
Mainly, it has a dramatic storyline - big check mark for our story. Samuel goes to preach to the Lamanites, is cast out of the city (which was, in ancient times often a precursor to being stoned), leaves, sees a vision and is commanded by the Lord to go back to the Zarahemla to preach to the people. He returns and delivers a lengthy and detailed prophesy of the coming of Christ.
An opera is structured like a play, with acts and scenes. In the account of Samuel the Lamanite, we have at least three acts ...
Act I - Helaman 13:1-3 Samuel goes to preach, is cast out and sees a vision and is instructed to return to Zarahemla
Act II - Helaman 13:4 to Helaman 15: 17
Scene 1 - Samuel returns, climbs up on the walls of the city and pronounces woes upon several cities and their inhabitants (Helaman 13:4-39)
Scene 2 - Samuel prophesies about Christ - giving the signs of his birth and death (Helaman 14)
Scene 3 - Samuel revisits the pronounces of woe if people do not change their ways (Helaman 15)
Act III Helaman 18:1-8
Scene 1 The people seek out Nephi and are many are baptised (Helaman 18:1-5)
Scene 2 The remainder attempt to seize Samuel, he jumps from the city wall, escapes and is not heard from again among the Nephites (Helaman 18: 6-8)
Musically, an opera has place for Aria's (solos), Ensembles (2 or more singers) and Choruses (large groups of singers). Examination of the relevant scriptures reveal wonderful musical opportunities ... which await a talented librettist or class poet and which afforded us some delight as we pondered some poetic phrases in these sections.
Perhaps a different treatment of this block of scripture, but one which certainly held our imaginations as we contemplated, in a different way, Samuel and his messages ...
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