Actually Vaughan Williams and Benjamin Britten wrote operas based around English folk melodies. Hugh the Drover and Peter Grimes (of course) spring to mind, but there were lots of others. All in English, too. Vaughan Williams' Riders to the Sea (based on the play by Synge) is very well thought of, but I'm afraid I've got so used to opera being sung in Italian (and thus not knowing what it's all about) that it's rather irritating to wait about 30 seconds for someone to say something that would normally take about 10. Based on this I conclude that I will stop enjoying opera once I start learning Italian.

Actually jOn from Hull is much better spelling-wise in chatrooms, so his postings here come as a bit of a surprise. Maybe he's just putting it on, or maybe he is Nigel Molesworth grown up? In that case the rest of us are uterly wet and weedy chiz moan drone. I'm sure fotherington-tomas was a big opera fan... The fact is that opra is full of fat ladies who screme and then evryon go bravo whizzo, as any fule kno.

Cheers,

Isabel