Ruth, the musical drama by composer Ronald Beckett and librettist Roger Bayley, will take the stage on May 10 in Brantford, Ontario. It’s the first time the popular opera returns to Southwestern Ontario since 2017.
Ruth is based on the Old Testament book of the same name, but while the inspiration may be time honoured, its structure is contemporary. The opera consists of 12 sections and runs a short (for opera) 78 minutes.
In the Biblical story, Ruth is a Moabite woman who becomes one of the Israelites as she marries Boaz of Bethlehem. The opera follows the title character of Ruth, depicted as a strong and independent woman who is full of hope as she searches for a better life, both for her own family and her people. It’s a story about immigration and the welcome she receives in a new land.
Ruth was a hit on its premiere in 1996, and has been performed 25 times throughout Ontario and beyond. The 2007 original cast recording has been broadcast from stations in Austria, Lithuania, the Czech Republic, Israel, Romania, and Turkey.
The work became the first of a trilogy that was later completed with John (1997) and I Am… (1998).
LvT spoke to Ronald Beckett about the work and its new production.
Ronald Beckett: Canadian composer, conductor, choir director
A native of Simcoe, Ontario, Ronald Beckett began piano studies as a child, and was encouraged by his piano teacher to add composing to his practice. He began writing music at the age of 11, and his original compositions and arrangements were performed at annual house concerts for neighbours and friends of the family. He went on to earn a Bachelor of Music degree in History and Theory from McMaster University in Hamilton, and a Master of Music in composition from Western University.
His music has been heard throughout Ontario, and is often broadcast on classical music radio throughout North America and Europe.
Ronald formally founded the Arcady Ensemble in 1998. The acclaimed collective incorporates more than 100 vocalists, musicians and dancers across Ontario, and is dedicated to performing his own works, as well as those of emerging artists and affiliated composers. They have released three recordings, including Ruth in 2007.
He was named as the inaugural winner of the Walter MacNutt Prize in 2023.
Ronald Beckett: The Interview
“It was originally written in 96,” Beckett recalls.
“At the time, we were doing a lot of early music,” he says of the Arcady Ensemble, which began its life as the Norfolk Singers. “We had done a lot of Baroque performances using historical instruments.” Ronald would lead the ensemble from the keyboard. “We did two productions of [Purcell’s] Dido and Aeneas, and [Handel’s] Acis and Galatea. I thought it was only natural to continue that format.” Then, another consideration struck him. “I thought, why don’t I use that format to write an opera of my own.”
The result was Esther, which premiered in 1993. Librettist Roger Bayley was in attendance, who was inspired to write another opera that was focused on prominent Old Testament female figures.
“He gave me the libretto,” says Ronald.
With one major original production just under his belt, however, it would be a couple of years before he picked it up to work on his next project in 1995. One of his concerns was Arcady Ensemble, which consists of a mix of experienced artists and performers, along with high school and university age emerging artists.
“They might enjoy this,” was his thought.
Roger was in attendance for the first rehearsal. “He was in tears,” Ronald says. Roger went home from the rehearsal, and penned its sequel, John, that night.
Of the three works in the trilogy, however, it’s Ruth that has proven the most popular.
“Ruth is the one we come back to time and time again.” Along with its popularity with audiences, there are practical considerations. “It’s easier to stage, and it’s shorter.” The cast is also primarily women, and as he points out, many university and other ensembles are predominantly women. That’s not the primary reason, but for many ensembles, it fulfills a need.
In contrast with many operas, Ruth is characterized by a primarily upbeat mood. “It’s opera,” he says. In operatic works, characters are traditionally either good or bad. “There’s nothing in between.”
At its core is a concept similar to the Hebrew hesed, which incorporates notions of filial devotion, kindness, mercy, responsibility to family, and preservation of culture. “They have varying degrees of depth,” he says of the characters.
The character of Malchi-Shua, a kind of huckster who disputes the heir of a piece of property, provides the conflict. Orpah is the person who understand the kind of devotion to family that is required, but lacks the conviction to follow through on it. Ruth, with her incredible strength of character, becomes a leader. But, it’s also a difficult position to be in.
“The more strength of character you have, the more you’re going to face,” Beckett says. He notes that Ruth was facing down a patriarchal society, the spectre of starvation, and difficult and even dangerous travel conditions.
Combined, the ingredients have turned into an audience favourite.
“It usually sells out,” he says. “I think they just like to see people caring about each other.”
Unlike many other dramatic operas, there are no bloodbaths, no irredeemable tragedies. It created a challenge in coming up with the right story, one that would have enough ups and downs to satisfy the audience’s emotions.
“There is darkness, but light emerges, and good emerges from dark circumstances,” he says. “There’s a fair amount of humour.”
The Music
Beckett’s training included time in an English opera group. “Essentially, I’m a Britten guy,” he says. “There is that element in the writing.”
He also describes himself as a fan of 12-tone music, but he hesitated to create a full-scale 12-tone opera when he realized the majority of his audience might be hearing the art form for the very first time. Nonetheless, he’s based Ruth on a tonal row, and incorporates dissonance where it serves a dramatic purpose. Consonant passages align with the happier moments in the story.
“If it’s chromatic and dissonant in spots, the audience will know why.”
The shorter format is also more in tune with newcomers to opera. “It’s a very compressed work,” he says. “It moves on very quickly form scene to scene.”
With its modernity, and lack of the usual operatic elements, such as extended arias, its out of the box success was not expected.
“Frankly, the success of it surprised me,” he says. When its first two performances sold out quickly, they added more. “Contemporary composers aren’t really expecting that.”
“Ruth has a 12-tone row,” he elaborates. It’s echoed in John, the second opera of the trilogy, where the last six notes relate back to the beginning of Ruth’s tone row. “It results in a motivic consistency from opera to opera.”
Audiences may find certain motives that are similar from one opera to the next, but not entirely the same.
In the end, it’s the story they love.
“We all want to be loved by somebody like Ruth.”
A taste of the music, from the 2017 production:
The Show
Arcady Ensemble is formed by both professional and emerging artists. The leads and chorus are performed by professional vocalists. The youth group enters the story near the end.
“It’s a fun part of the show,” he says. It was specified by Roger Bayley in his libretto. “They symbolize the generations that are spoken of, extended to the modern day.”
The May 10 production features both past and present Arcady Emerging Artists, including:
- Cristina Pisani as Ruth
- Ben Wallace as Boaz
- Anjelique Croteau as Naomi
- Sophia Korz as Orpah.
The cast is rounded out by Lindsay Scott as The Poet, Marcel Van Helden as Malchi-Shua, and Olivia Maldonado, Michaela Chiste, and Katherine Barr as the Three Women.
Arcady’s professional chorus, orchestra, dancers, and Youth Singer chorus will support the cast, and Ronald Beckett serves as musical director.
Along with Ruth, the performance includes other works by Beckett, including his “Nature’s Cry” arranged for strings, as well as “Go Heart” and “Song of Thanks” arranged for strings and voice sung by Shawn Oakes and Katie Walshaw.
There will also be a free pre-concert Zoom chat with Ruth scholar Enid Pottinger on May 6. Enid will talk about her study of Ruth through arts, music, and theology, and how it relates to contemporary society. Ronald Beckett and some cast members will also be on hand.
- You can email Arcady Ensemble to ask for a Zoom link [HERE].
- Find more information and tickets to the May 10 performance at St. Andrew’s United Church [HERE].
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