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| The Veil of Forgetfulness - Synopsis Set in Shaftesbury Abbey, The Veil tells the story of Abbess Marie and her band of six spiritual renegades who struggle against the stranglehold of the codified Medieval Church. The six Keepers of the Veil must find and initiate their seventh member before they are denounced as heretics. Abbess Marie, secretly the famous 12th century poet Marie de France, and bastard sister of King Henry II, is the First Keeper of the Veil. Her task is to fulfill the Legend of the Veil. If fulfilled, the prophecy will allow the seven Keepers to transcend earthly life and return to the Time Before God. All of the veil’s length accumulated as a result of their good deeds will be left behind to ease mankind’s way. If the prophecy is not fulfilled, the cloth returns to its original tiny square and the process begins again. If the cloth falls into the wrong hands, it can just as easily be used for evil purposes. If the seven do not fulfill the quest, not only will they be executed as heretics, but they will also be trapped in a long cycle of reincarnations. |
Composer / Writer / Consultant
Scene-by-Scene Description
Act I, Scene 1: Shaftesbury Abbey, 1199, Divine Hour of Prime.
Abbess Marie stands guard just inside the chapel as her band of spiritual heretics meet and sing the “Hymn to the Veil.” The Sixth
Keeper, Deborah, a Jew granted asylum by the Abbess, narrowly escapes through the back entrance as Regina enters by the front.
Regina joins the other sisters in singing the Mass of Our Lady and Marie we here Marie’s inner explanation of what is to occur.
Act I, Scene 2: Scriptorium next to the chapel.
Joan Plantagenet, Countess of Toulouse appears at the Abbey requesting asylum. In an advanced state of pregnancy, Joan was
forced to flee in the midst of a full rebellion. She requests that she be allowed to take the veil upon the birth of her child. All sense
that Joan is not long for this world. Moreover, she is the long-awaited seventh member of their group which will allow them to
fulfill the Legend of the Veil of Forgetfulness. Sisters Brigid and Azenora rush in fearing that Dympha may reveal too much to
Regina in her latest hallucinations. Regina, in yet another of one of her thinly veiled attacks, accuses Deborah and Dympha of
poisoning the novices. Dympha, sings along with her imaginary nightengale comments about the future of Joan, and the fact that
there is nothing wrong with the novices, except that they have measles. When the fray has settled, the Abbess is left in reflection.
She formulates a plan to keep Regina at bay long enough for the six Keepers of the Veil to meet and initiate their seventh member
before they are either exposed as heretics or Joan dies.
Act I, Scene 3: The Chapel, later at None.
Outside the chapel, Regina stands at the door and sings of her ambitions and frustrations. She should have been made Abbess, and
was not. Abbess Marie shelters both a nun of Cathar descent (Margarette) and a Jew (Deborah). If Abbess Marie and the others are
removed, her way is cleared to become Abbess with all of its privileges. After Regina enters the chapel, Deborah, once a member
of a well-to-do Jewish banking family, watches the falsely pious Regina. She questions whether her loyalty to the sisters is
misplaced. Should she escape while she can? She has lost everything to the “Christians” before. What makes this any different?
Abbess Marie formulates a plan to see that the legend is fulfilled. Dympha is known for tearing pages out of any book she is allowed
to touch and turning them into nightingale wings. If she were to tear a few from the gift to the Abbey’s richest patron, all of the
Keepers would have an excuse to stay up throughout the night working in the Scriptorium. Regina would have to care for the sick
in the infirmary by herself, thus clearing the way for their secret ceremonies.
Act II: The Scriptorium after Compline.
Joan is brought into the Scriptorium. The Legend of the Veil is presented. In the shadows, Regina is spying. As the sisters proceed
with their ceremony and their own life stories, Regina comes to see that she has severely misjudged all of them through her own
pettiness and misery. As they proceed, she becomes more and more agitated, because the Archbishop’s troops which she has
summoned will arrive by morning. After each tells her personal story to Joan, Regina realizes how wrong she has been about all of
them and in her quest for power beyond all else. She interrupts the ceremony, begging each to listen to her. They must leave
before they are killed. All quietly and kindly go about their business to finish the ceremony. Joan reaches to accept the veil, takes
it, and then slowly sinks to the floor dead. As the six join in, their black veils slip to the floor, and underneath is one of iridescent
blue. Each departs, their mission complete. Only the Abbess remains. She takes the veil from Joan and places it in the hands of
Regina and then too departs. As the opera closes, Regina is left alone in the center holding the blue veil. She must now choose her
own path, but what will it be?
Act I, Scene 1: Shaftesbury Abbey, 1199, Divine Hour of Prime.
Abbess Marie stands guard just inside the chapel as her band of spiritual heretics meet and sing the “Hymn to the Veil.” The Sixth
Keeper, Deborah, a Jew granted asylum by the Abbess, narrowly escapes through the back entrance as Regina enters by the front.
Regina joins the other sisters in singing the Mass of Our Lady and Marie we here Marie’s inner explanation of what is to occur.
Act I, Scene 2: Scriptorium next to the chapel.
Joan Plantagenet, Countess of Toulouse appears at the Abbey requesting asylum. In an advanced state of pregnancy, Joan was
forced to flee in the midst of a full rebellion. She requests that she be allowed to take the veil upon the birth of her child. All sense
that Joan is not long for this world. Moreover, she is the long-awaited seventh member of their group which will allow them to
fulfill the Legend of the Veil of Forgetfulness. Sisters Brigid and Azenora rush in fearing that Dympha may reveal too much to
Regina in her latest hallucinations. Regina, in yet another of one of her thinly veiled attacks, accuses Deborah and Dympha of
poisoning the novices. Dympha, sings along with her imaginary nightengale comments about the future of Joan, and the fact that
there is nothing wrong with the novices, except that they have measles. When the fray has settled, the Abbess is left in reflection.
She formulates a plan to keep Regina at bay long enough for the six Keepers of the Veil to meet and initiate their seventh member
before they are either exposed as heretics or Joan dies.
Act I, Scene 3: The Chapel, later at None.
Outside the chapel, Regina stands at the door and sings of her ambitions and frustrations. She should have been made Abbess, and
was not. Abbess Marie shelters both a nun of Cathar descent (Margarette) and a Jew (Deborah). If Abbess Marie and the others are
removed, her way is cleared to become Abbess with all of its privileges. After Regina enters the chapel, Deborah, once a member
of a well-to-do Jewish banking family, watches the falsely pious Regina. She questions whether her loyalty to the sisters is
misplaced. Should she escape while she can? She has lost everything to the “Christians” before. What makes this any different?
Abbess Marie formulates a plan to see that the legend is fulfilled. Dympha is known for tearing pages out of any book she is allowed
to touch and turning them into nightingale wings. If she were to tear a few from the gift to the Abbey’s richest patron, all of the
Keepers would have an excuse to stay up throughout the night working in the Scriptorium. Regina would have to care for the sick
in the infirmary by herself, thus clearing the way for their secret ceremonies.
Act II: The Scriptorium after Compline.
Joan is brought into the Scriptorium. The Legend of the Veil is presented. In the shadows, Regina is spying. As the sisters proceed
with their ceremony and their own life stories, Regina comes to see that she has severely misjudged all of them through her own
pettiness and misery. As they proceed, she becomes more and more agitated, because the Archbishop’s troops which she has
summoned will arrive by morning. After each tells her personal story to Joan, Regina realizes how wrong she has been about all of
them and in her quest for power beyond all else. She interrupts the ceremony, begging each to listen to her. They must leave
before they are killed. All quietly and kindly go about their business to finish the ceremony. Joan reaches to accept the veil, takes
it, and then slowly sinks to the floor dead. As the six join in, their black veils slip to the floor, and underneath is one of iridescent
blue. Each departs, their mission complete. Only the Abbess remains. She takes the veil from Joan and places it in the hands of
Regina and then too departs. As the opera closes, Regina is left alone in the center holding the blue veil. She must now choose her
own path, but what will it be?