overheard. He takes the prize money and heads out looking for adventure. Act 3 The next morning Albert has not returned, and the village is in a panic. Superintendent Budd is leading the search, while the guilt-stricken Nancy tends to Mrs. Herring. A boy shouts that a "Big White Something" has been found in a well, and the village worthies file in to break the news en masse that Albert's crown of flowers has been discovered, crushed by a cart. A lengthy threnody of grief follows, but is interrupted by the surprise return of Albert. He thanks the Festival Committee for funding his night out. They, in turn, are outraged by his tale of drunken debauchery and leave in a huff. Albert finally stands up to his mother and invites the village children into the shop to enjoy some fruit at his expense. Musical style and character themes Albert Herring is a musically complex work, despite its somewhat light-hearted subject matter. The text is genuinely humorous, and the score, while matching the text in character, includes myriad musical quotations as well as some complex forms. Like Peter Grimes and other works by Britten, this opera explores society's reaction to an odd individual, although, in this case at least, it is from a generally humorous and lighthearted perspective. Some of Britten's contemporaries saw in the title character a satirical self-portrait of the composer. Recordings There are five audio recordings of Albert Herring and one DVD recording, with the following artists: References Notes Additional sources Holden, Amanda (ed.), The New Penguin Opera Guide, New York: Penguin Putnam, 2001. Recordings of Albert Herring on operadis-opera-discography.org.uk Whittall, Arnold, "Albert Herring" in Stanley Sadie, (Ed.), The New Grove Dictionary of Opera, Vol. One, pp. 54–55. London: Macmillan Publishers, Inc. 1998 Operas by Benjamin Britten English-language operas English comic operas Chamber operas 1947 operas Operas Operas set in England Operas based on novels