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The Burning Boy: Full Scores

$290.00 USD
$290.00 USD
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The Burning Boy Cover Image
The Burning Boy: Full Scores

The Burning Boy: Full Scores

A Miracle Play for Music Theatre (Opera in One Act)

By Stephen McNeff / words by Charles Causley

Item: 98-EP73133
$290.00
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Description

The Burning Boy is a 70-minute miracle play for music theatre by Stephen McNeff with a libretto by Charles Causley. Commissioned by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, it was first performed at Launceston Town Hall, Cornwall, on 10 November 2017 and at the Guildhall, St Ives, Cornwall, on 11 November 2017 by the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra's contemporary ensemble, Kokoro, conducted by Mark Forkgen. The stage director was Richard Williams. The opera was performed in association with Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance as part of the BSO's Side by Side initiative. The commission was made possible with the financial support from the PRSF for Music Foundation and the Hinrichsen Foundation.

This score (EP 73133) is available as part of the Peters Contemporary Library. The vocal score (EP 73133a) can be purchased separately and the performance material is available for hire.



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Additional Details
Series: Edition Peters
Publisher: Edition Peters
Page Count: 232
ISBN10: 0-57-701652-0
ISBN13: 979-0-57-701652-8
SKU: 98-EP73133

More about this title

About the Composer: Stephen McNeff

Stephen McNeff is a Scottish composer whose work spans opera, orchestral music, and chamber pieces. His collaborations with librettist Charles Causley on The Burning Boy demonstrate his gift for setting narrative poetry to music that serves the dramatic arc without overwhelming the text.

Why we love this

McNeff's score balances orchestral sophistication with theatrical clarity, making it accessible for contemporary ensembles while maintaining the musical substance expected at professional venues. The Causley libretto brings the miracle play tradition into modern music theatre with genuine emotional weight, and the string orchestra foundation allows flexible casting and performance contexts.

What to expect

The score evokes a contemporary sensibility grounded in narrative clarity. McNeff's orchestrations shift between delicate, transparent textures and moments of orchestral weight, reflecting the sacred subject matter of a miracle play without resorting to pastiche or sentimentality.

Who it's for

This full score is essential for conductors and music directors preparing The Burning Boy for performance. It serves conservatories, professional ensembles, and contemporary music programs seeking substantial music theatre repertoire with genuine artistic vision.

How to get the most out of it

  • Study the dramatic arc in rehearsal before diving into technical details. The score's effectiveness depends on singers and players understanding how their parts serve the narrative.
  • Pay close attention to tempo relationships between scenes. Transitions are marked deliberately and shape the listener's experience of the 70-minute arc.
  • Balance the string textures carefully. The orchestration often creates harmonic foundation that supports vocal lines rather than competing with them.

How to use it

Consider programming The Burning Boy as a special event or festival centerpiece rather than a standard concert work. Its 70-minute duration and theatrical nature suit dedicated performances that allow audiences to experience the full narrative arc, making it ideal for spring festivals, educational showcases, or standalone concert productions.

Skills your students will build

  • Conducting contemporary opera and music theatre scores
  • Balancing orchestral texture with vocal projection and dramatic clarity
  • Interpreting modern notational practices in a narrative context
  • Ensemble coordination across extended dramatic structures

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