by Philip Carr-Gomm
Abstract
The Bardic Grade teaching of the Order of Bards Ovates & Druids uses an old Welsh story – the Tale of Taliesin – to initiate us into the Druid mysteries and to help us access and develop our creative potential. Michael Tippett’s opera The Midsummer Marriage uses the same story to help create an experience of initiation. This paper first examines the common ground that inspired both Michael Tippett and the founder of the Order, Ross Nichols, and then explores the genesis and structure of The Midsummer Marriage, with particular relevance to contemporary Druidism.