Tess is my all time favourite novel. I too, a little disappointed although I felt the rape scene was handled well. The important touch of wearing a red ribbon in her hair at the start was missing, though. It is the very start of the increasing red theme that runs through it culminating in the red dress on the alter stone. Melstock band defintley the musicians and I would go with Roisin the Beau as well. As for getting the music right, Dave Townsend is one of the finest and most knowledgeable of musicians and Hardy historians and would have a say as to the correctness of a piece.