the left arch, as the rightful Duke of Milan, inspired by the vision of The Tempest he played by Michael Hordern, instructed his was asked to interpret. The two of them, The Isle is full of Noises: daughter Miranda about their past history. aided by Christopher Whelen, made a good This, too, was accompanied by echoes of team, each man sparking ideas from the Malcolm Arnold’s Tempest music, as peace and harmony was restored. others. The surviving manuscript scores show that throughout rehearsal there were For many critics, Ariel stole the show. The changes and modifications and that Arnold young Robert Hardy was painted sulphur- was often composing late into the night yellow, naked apart from a small decorated to get fresh accompaniments ready for 24 thong , his hair stiffly blown back. He moved 25 the next day. Features collections college eton with balletic grace and spoke and sang with Features collections college eton an other-worldly charm, like the airy spirit he was intended to be. Hardy made much There is much to learn from Arnold’s of the music Arnold wrote for his four songs. fascinating manuscript scores, which are The composer carefully went through each freely available to members of the Eton one with him at the piano, making sure that community in College Library and to the ‘Come unto these Yellow Sands’ had the general public in College Library. It is also right lure and ‘Full Fathom Five’ a tingling hoped that some time before the end of the melancholy. But Arnold did more than set Malcolm Arnold Project (a three-year, joint Shakespeare’s songs to his own musical In Helpmann’s production they were venture by the Eton Music Department and proclaimed as the new generation who ideas. He also wrote bars of music to cover College Library) in December 2018 some of would repudiate the sins and neglect of the entrances and exits of many of the The Tempest music may be played at Eton, their fathers in restoring order and prosperity characters. Thus Ariel’s first entrance was to so that a modern audience may get some to Milan and Naples. Claire Bloom and John the plucking of a harp, and Caliban lumbered small idea of what excited the audience at in to a slow tune on the trombone with bass Neville made the most of this opportunity the Old Vic way back in 1954. drum accompaniment. Caliban was probably and both gave memorable performances. the only disappointment of the production, a The Theatre World critic described the and explain why it was that the Theatre this, and so started the play with Prospero lovable moon-calf, played as a broadly comic Arnold found it easy to work with Helpmann Michael Meredith music in the 1954 Old Vic production World was so entranced by Arnold’s music. ordering strange-shaped monsters to dress character by Richard Burton. (whom others found tricky) and was clearly Curator Modern Collection of The Tempest as ‘entrancing’, a perfect the set and arrange strands of tropical accompaniment to Shakespeare’s play, The 1953-54 season at The Old Vic saw vegetation round the pillars, transforming Malcolm Arnold’s music, therefore, carrying the audience away with delight, the beginning of an ambitious plan to the stage into a mysterious and beautiful fulfilled a number of different functions wonder and rapture. Such high praise, perform all Shakespeare’s plays in the First island. Malcolm Arnold’s music, therefore, in the play: it set the mood of a scene; shared by most of those who saw the Folio, starting with Hamlet, with Richard contributed to this transformation by it helped to create character; it gave a play, was a tribute to the work of the Burton as the Prince, and taking five creating a magical sound picture, alluring new beauty to Shakespeare’s songs. But young composer Malcolm Arnold, who years to complete. A strong company was but strangely sinister, before a word was its most original use was in providing an had been commissioned to undertake assembled, including Michael Hordern, Fay spoken. Once the set was in place, the accompaniment to the dialogue in a number the task by the director Robert Helpmann Compton, Claire Bloom, Robert Hardy and, monsters disappeared and an enormous of scenes. Thus, at the appearance of the after he had heard Arnold’s ballet music of course, Richard Burton, who was then storm burst over the theatre with a doomed magical banquet at the end of Act 3, the to Homage to the Queen at Sadler’s Wells. establishing his name as a stage actor. The ship viewed through the middle arch, lit by villainous men of sin spoke in tandem with Tempest was the last of the season’s plays a single spot. As the frightened passengers Arnold’s bold, discordant music. Likewise, College Library has recently bought all and had its first night on 13th April 1954. cried out and the mariners struggled to keep almost all Miranda and Ferdinand’s scenes that survives of the manuscript score the boat afloat, it split in two and sank in were accompanied by music, particularly Arnold handed over, piece by piece, to the The first problem facing Robert Helpmann full view of the audience. Arnold’s storm, effective where Ferdinand was moving conductor and musical director Christopher was the permanent set erected for the aided by wind-machines and thunder- logs and where the lovers were discovered Whelan during rehearsals. We also have five-year plan: a façade of three Palladian sheets, was created by eight musicians playing chess. This, of course, required on loan a complete orchestral score of The arches, held up by four sturdy pillars, which playing oboe, clarinet, trumpet, trombone, careful rehearsal to make sure the blend Tempest’s incidental music, copied out was ideal for most of the tragedies and harp, celesta and many different percussion of voice and instruments was perfect, but by Arnold five days before the opening histories, but completely unsuitable for the instruments. It was superbly choreographed it succeeded so well that Miranda and night. These two documents enable us to magic of Prospero’s island. Helpmann and by Helpmann and subsided into a quiet Ferdinand, often merely rather dull young reconstruct the play’s performance history his designer Leslie Hurry had to disguise conversation in Prospero’s cell, in front of lovers, were given greater prominence. Richard Burton, Michael Hordern and Claire Bloom in The Tempest.