power art thou who from below" was recorded by Klaus Nomi on his eponymous first album as "The Cold Song". The prelude to Act III serves as the basis for the piece Chasing Sheep Is Best Left to Shepherds in Michael Nyman's score for the 1982 movie The Draughtsman's Contract. Nyman then reused it for his 1984 Memorial and again in 1989 in the score for The Cook, the Thief, His Wife & Her Lover. Roles Synopsis (Musical numbers given in bold) Act 1 Scene 1 1. Overture 2. Air 3. Overture The Britons prepare for the battle which will decide who will rule their land: the Christian Arthur or the heathen Saxon Oswald. It augurs well for them: it is Saint George's Day and the Britons have already defeated the Saxons in ten battles. Conon, Duke of Cornwall, explains the origins of the war. Oswald had sought his daughter, the blind Emmeline's, hand in marriage but she rejected him because she is in love with Arthur. Arthur enters reading a letter of support from his magician Merlin. He meets Emmeline and tries to explain to her what seeing means. A trumpet calls Arthur to battle. Scene 2: The scene represents a place of Heathen worship; The three Saxon Gods, Woden, Thor, and Freya placed on Pedestals. An Altar. Oswald and his magician Osmond sacrifice horses and pray to the Saxon gods for victory in the coming battle. Osmond's servant, the spirit Grimbald, arrives and says he has persuaded six Saxons to offer themselves as a human sacrifice. He also admits he has lost control of the other spirit, Philidel, "a puleing Sprite" who "Sighs when he should plunge a Soul in Sulphur,/As with Compassion touched of foolish man." Philidel was supposed to have drawn up the vapours from the marsh and blown them in the face of the Christian soldiers but when he saw the crosses on their banners, he refused to carry out this task. Osmond says he will punish Philidel later. The sacrifice scene: 4. "Woden, first to thee" (Tenor, bass and chorus) 5. "The white horse neigh'd aloud" (Tenor and alto) 6. "The lot is cast, and Tanfan pleas'd" (Soprano) 7. "Brave souls, to be renown'd in story" (Chorus) 8. "I call you all to Woden's hall" (Alto and chorus) Scene 3: "A battle supposed to be given behind the Scenes, with Drums, Trumpets, and military