"Making its ENO premiere in 2025, this critically acclaimed modern opera set 500 years ago tells the story that still resonates today. With hostile forces on every side, Mary I of Scotland attempts to secure a happy future for herself and her country. One of Scotland's most esteemed composers, Thea Musgrave captures the drama in a thrilling, atmospheric score rooted in the rough-hewn Highlands of Elizabethan times.

Thea Musgrave writes music and libretto that is as beautifully crafted for voices as for the drama. Her orchestral textures are deftly detailed, at times evoking Elizabethan Scotland. This provides the backdrop for characters who are both musically as well as dramatically believable while cleverly building tension. As critic Harold Rosenthal notes, Musgrave's music is both original and accessible."