Unrequited love. Forbidden love. Memories of lost happiness. Ethnic and class tensions. A power-hungry underling who will stop at nothing to get what he wants. And on the brighter side: naughty jokes, hypocrisy unveiled, and a disguise that leads to hijinks, all set to a score that combines chatty dialogue, choral commentary, and soaring melodies. You will find all this in Adelina the Jester, a musical event set in 11th-century England. Adelina was a real person. She is the only woman listed in the Domesday Book (1086 C.E.) as holding the job of court jester. We know very little about her, except that she owned land in her own name and that she plied her trade at the court of Earl Roger de Montgomery, also a historical person and a go-to guy for William the Conqueror. Two remarkable artists combined their talents to bring Adelina to life. Andrew Grainger is the composer, and Katie Bender is the playwright/librettist.

The musical event Adelina the Jester premiered in Austin, Texas in June of 2024 as a chamber oratorio. Soloists sang the roles of Adelina, Earl Roger, King William II, and Fitzhugh, the earl’s agent, in concert format, with a medieval ensemble of lute, harp, Baroque guitar, recorder, organ and percussion providing accompaniment and musical interludes. Each of the soloists was paired with a contemporary dancer, who, as something like an avatar, expressed each soloist’s emotions and helped propel the narrative. A chorus filled the roles of peasants, courtiers, and other English folk.

Adelina can also be staged as a chamber opera, without dancers and with all the singers acting out their roles on stage to the accompaniment of the medieval orchestral ensemble. A third option is staging the production as a fully orchestrated opera. See the Production tab for more information about these options.