Musical Theater Concert, 2005
Photo: J. Reeder
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Albert Herring
By Benjamin Britten
Libretto by Eric Crozier, based on the story by Guy de Maupassant
Time: 1900
Place: Loxford, East Suffolk
Act 1
Scene 1
Lady Billows, the self-appointed “guardian of public morality” in Loxford, passes pronouncement upon various petty issues within the town to her housekeeper, Florence Pike. On this morning they are interrupted by the arrival of Miss Wordsworth the School Mistress, Mr. Gedge the Vicar, Mayor Upfold and Police Superintendent Budd, who have come to discuss the appointment of the May Queen. Lady Billows offers a prize of £25 to “make virtue attractive” before discussion of the candidates begins. Each potential candidate’s virtues are mentioned before Florence, reading through her notes, finds a reason to reject them. The idea of a “May King” is brought up, initially rejected, then finally agreed upon and the honor bestowed upon Albert Herring who, while being considered “simple” by the committee, is thought by all to be virtuous and moreover a great help to his mother, with whom he runs the local grocer’s shop.
Scene 2
Three local children, Emmie, Cis, and Harry, are playing ball outside the grocery shop when a missed throw sends the ball through the door into the shop. Emmie and Cis encourage Harry to retrieve the ball, and hoist him inside. Harry retrieves the ball, then snatches some apples from atop the counter. Sid, the butcher’s son, arrives and chastises Harry for stealing the apples, after which Emmie, Cis and Harry run off.
Albert arrives at the shop. Sid asks to purchase some bags of herbs, then offers Albert the opportunity to take “double or quits” on the toss of a coin. Albert declines, as his mother would object to the wager, and Sid presses Albert to break away from his mother’s domination. As Sid is about to leave, Nancy, his girlfriend, looks into the shop. Her presence, and Sid’s flirting with her, makes Albert all the more embarrassed and awkward.
After they leave, Albert muses over whether he is missing out on life by always doing the good and chaste thing as his mother demands. The town committee arrives to appoint Albert as the May King, but he is less than thrilled by the prospect or the £25 associated with it.. However his mother insists that he take the position and reward. When Albert complains, she threatens to give him a whipping and sends him up to bed. Emmie, Cis, and Harry stand outside, making fun of Albert’s situation.
Act 2
Scene 1
On the day of Albert’s crowning, Florence and Nancy are putting out food for the May Day celebration. Sid arrives late, and describes the scene at the Church, with Vicar Gedge preaching on chaste living and Albert nervously looking as though all he wants to do is escape. Nancy and Sid leave to get the lemonade and plot some mischief. Emmie, Cis, and Harry enter with Miss Wordsworth, and practice a song to celebrate the crowning of the May King. Sid and Nancy re-enter with lemonade, and Sid pours some rum into Albert’s cup of lemonade. The partygoers arrive, and Lady Billows and the town committee members make speeches to the assembled throng. Having drunk his lemonade laced with rum, Albert struggles to speak, and is then consumed by a fit of hiccups.
Scene 2
Later that evening, Albert stumbles into the shop, still slightly drunk, and discovers that his mother has gone out. He overhears Sid and Nancy talking outside the shop about his being tied to his mother’s apron strings and resolves, by tossing a coin, to leave and spend what he describes as his “virgin ransom”. Mrs. Herring enters and assumes Albert is asleep after the excitement of the day.
Act 3
The next afternoon, Albert has not returned home, and the frantic townspeople assume that he is dead. Nancy worries that she is the cause of his demise, but Sid is flippant. Albert finally returns, looking dirty and disheveled. Rather than being relieved, the townspeople are offended at having spent time and energy looking for Albert but he is unrepentant, describing a night of drunken disorder. He tells his mother her over-protectiveness drove him to this action and insists on going back to his shop. Back at the shop, he throws his May King wreath away in disgust and takes his place as proprietor.
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