A Candle Opera

Background: So someone on Freecycle was trying to get rid of a candelabra (we assume) but instead wrote candle opera. And because I wasn't sure whether or not there were candle opera's I wrote one. I hope you enjoy. (Make up the melody's in your head if you want. I have mine but its hard to convey sans vocal or instruments).

Oh, and its long.

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The Opera of Candles

It is a story of love.

A young candle maker named Claudio falls in love with his Lord’s daughter Isabella. In order to win her hand he must complete three quests. He goes through the trials and finds an inner strength he never knew he possessed and an ingenuity he’d never needed to use.

Song One: From A far (Claudio)

I see you there, a distant star
I will love you from a far;
I’m not good enough to be there where you are
I will love you from a far.

You light my world from so far away
By your side is where I long to stay;
If I was by your side, I would never stray
You light my world from so far away.

You and I we are not meant to be
We may as well be separated by the sea;
You are a Lady, and I am only me
You and I we are not meant to be.

I see you there a distant star
I will love you, if only from afar.
I am not good enough to be there where you are
I will love you from afar.

Story: Despite knowing he should stay away, Claudio cannot help himself. He makes coloured candles and poems professing his love, and leaves them where Isabella will find them.

Song Two: Who Are You (Isabella)

Every day I walk, wherever I walk
To avoid the endless people who wish to talk;
Sometimes all I want to do is to be alone
But I am a Lady; I cannot be on my own.

Until I find your gift, your gift of light.
It brings hope to me in the darkest night.
I dream the dreams of when you’ll hold me tight
Such dreams turn my days to bright.

Chorus:
Oh Who are you? That you would do such for me!
I know not who you are, or can we come to be?
Such beauty in this candle, is from your soul
Oh who are you out there to make me whole.

Every day I walk, wherever I walk
To avoid the endless people who wish to talk;
Sometimes all I want to do is to be alone
But I am a Lady, I cannot be on my own.

Story: Isabella discovers the identity of her would be love. She knows that her father would never allow them to be married, but she has fallen in love with the beauty of Claudio’s soul. She leaves him a letter professing her love for him. Claudio finds the letter.

Song Three: All this Written Down. (Claudio & Isabella together)

Dear Claudio, I know your face
I never dreamt to find you in this place;
You are noble, if only in my eyes
Your visage, brightens up my skies.

We come from a different world
You are a low born boy, me a high born girl
But love will overcome these mountains high
The way is rough, but oh please won’t you try.

Tell my father, that you wish for my hand
Tell him that you will go out and rid the land.
Of dangers three, tasks you must complete.
And then for my hand, then you will entreat.

Dear Claudio. I know your face
Come rescue me from the doldrums of this place.
Your very nature makes a smile out of my frown
Oh Claudio, all this I’ve written down.

Story: Claudio goes to the court of his would be lover’s father and there asks for his daughter’s hand.

Song Four: Dear Lord (Claudio)

Dear Lord, I have seen a vision
Dear Lord, I would suffer your derision
Dear Lord, I am yours to command
Dear Lord, I ask but your daughter’s hand.

(Crowd gasps at his audacity).

Dear Sir, I am low burn but no churl
Dear Sir, This plan I do unfurl
Dear Sir, name me these tasks three
Dear Sir, and then you will see… that I am worthy.

Story: Lord looks to his daughter and sees her approval. He loves his daughter and if she wants this he is willing, but he will not see his daughter married to someone who is not worthy.

Song Five: These three tasks (the Lord)

Oh Candle maker, your life is but a spark
You must prove yourself when the hour is dark
In the mines, south outside of town
Is a foe that has brought many heroes down.
Climb down the tunnel
Your courage you must funnel
Stick it to that sticking place
Defeat there the villain
That for years has been chillin’
This foe and your fear you will face.
And when that task is done
Yes when that task is done:
There is more

Oh Candle maker, your life is but a spark
You must prove yourself when the hour is dark
Go north to the nearby mountain range
Spend three nights in a castle strange
Demons you will face
For your heart they will race
And try to turn your soul to the black
You must do no wrong
And stay there o’er long
Else you will not ever make it back.
And when that task is done
Yes when that task is done:
There is more

Oh Candle maker, your life is but a spark
You must prove yourself when the hour is dark
The next quest you might think is a piddle
But it is the toughest, because it is a riddle;
To pass this last test
This is my request
Answer me the question that follows:
What is the greatest thing
That soothes and causes sting
And fills you up when you are hollow?
And when this task is done
And when this task is done
Come back to me.

Song Six: I Will (Claudio)
I will do anything to be with her
She is the meaning of my life
I will do anything just to be with her
Make her my wife.

To be with her I must leave her now
Leave the meaning of my life;
Without her I will be empty inside
My heart is rife… with sadness.

But one day I will return
Who I am the world will learn;
They will drink to my health til their fill
Will you step up? He asks
Will you complete these tasks
My Lord for her hand you know I will.
I will

Story: Claudio is out on the road. There he meets an old woman who is beset upon by rogues. With his trust walking staff he beats off the robbers and they flee. He patches her up, using some melted wax to staunch her cuts and honey he gives her for ailments. (He has brought with him the things he knows how to use, beeswax, honey, a lot of string for the wick and candles).

The old lady blesses him. In the morning they go their separate ways.

The very next day Claudio finds the cave. It is marked with the bones of heroes. He climbs down into the tunnel, using a candle to light the way.

Song Seven: Little Light (Claudio)

Little candle I depend on you
To light my way in this cave;
As long as the light comes from you
I know I can be brave.

The drafts cause your light to waver
As my courage seems to want to do
But as long as you shine I will be strong
My courage comes from you.

Oh little light, live inside me
Brighten up my darkest hour;
Oh little light shine inside me
Lend me power.

Little light shine the way
Light me on my path;
Lest I face danger in the darkness
Lest the darkness show its wrath.

Oh little light, live inside me
Brighten up my darkest hour;
Oh little light shine inside me
Lend me power.

Story: Claudio finds the dragons’ den. There is a struggle. Claudio manages to burn the eyes of the dragon with his candle, and choke it with his string. (Hey, it’s a story about the power of love okay?).

Thus is the first task done.

From there Claudio makes his way to the mountains. In the Mountains he finds a woman of middle age being held captive by robbers. He creates various traps using his strong as wire wick string and using various vocal distractions manages to capture the robbers.

He frees the woman of middle age. Again giving her a portion of his honey for nourishment. They fall asleep around the camp fire and in the morning both woman and robbers are gone.

Claudio continues his trip until he finds the Castle in the Mountains.

Song Eight: Endure (Claudio)

This place is dark and cold
It makes my bones feel old
Until I am not sure who I am.
Will I regret my choice
When first I hear a voice
A voice of doubt doubting who I am.

Even now I hear them
Even now I fear them
Voices in the dark muttering
But I must endure
For of my love I’m sure
My heart is no flame to be a’ sputtering.

I know I am the fella
For my Isabella
Her hand I will have with me one day
It will be no hassle
To be in this haunted Castle
Why t’is only for three days I must stay.


But even now I hear them
Even now I fear them
Voices in the dark muttering
But I must endure
For of my love I’m sure
My heart is no flame to be a’ sputtering.

Story: Claudio stays in the castle for three days. There are times he fears he is going mad, and he is tempted to leave. There are times he is tempted by demons of lovely visage, times he is frightened by demons of terrible visage. But his love holds firm. On the third day, when all is quiet, he knows he is able to leave.

He is a changed man. Stronger. Quieter. His love for Isabella is stronger than ever.


But now is the third and hardest of challenges. The riddle. All the while he has travelled the demesne of his lord he has thought up on it, but no answer has come to him. He wanders the land scouring for answers.


Song Nine: Where Is He Now/Where is She Now (Isabella & Claudio)

Isabella’s Part

I look up at the stars tonight
I feel the world is somehow just not right;
I miss the world he showed me with his light.
I wonder where his is now.

The days pass me ever so slow
My heart is barren as a winter’s snow
But I will stay strong, my feelings I’ll not show
I wonder where he is right now.

The suitors they still come to my door
Saying that you are a failure and you’re poor.
Each day my heart yearns for you more
I wonder where he is right now.

Claudio’s Part

I look up at the stars tonight
I feel the world is somehow just not right;
I miss the world she showed me with her light.
I wonder where she is now.

The days pass me ever so slow
My heart is barren as a winter’s snow
But I will stay strong, my feelings I’ll not show
I wonder where she is right now.

The suitors they still come to your door
Saying that I am a failure because I am poor.
Each day my heart yearns for you more
I wonder where she is right now.

Story: Claudio continues to wander the land, he has adventures and helps many people, making friends wherever he goes. For the third time he comes upon a lovely young woman captured by bandits. With a sword he found in the castle and has learned to use he fends off the robbers and frees the girl. They spend the night at the campfire and Claudio relates to her his quest and his story.

Then a strange thing happens. The young woman turns into the middle aged woman he rescued, and then into the crone. She reveals that she is the three fates, and in order for him to overcome the place that fate had decreed him to live, he must prove exceptional. With his rescuing and aiding the three various women he has proved his mettle.

As they fade into the night the lovely young woman whispers:

"What is it that soothes and causes sting
And fills you up when you are hollow?
The answer is love"

Song Ten: The Answer is Love (Claudio)

What is it that picks you up when you are down?
What is it that can erase away your frown
What is it that can lift a mountain up and drop it down?
The answer is love.

What is it, that fills me up inside
Making me feel I could cross the whole world wide
Making me feel so beautiful inside
The answer is love

What is it that fills me up when I am hollow
Under whose banner would I not hesitate to follow?
I shine inside with you, I shine like Apollo.
The answer is love.

Story: Claudio returns to the court of the Lord. He is dressed in disguise. Another suitor has arrived for the hand of Isabella. The Lord will not allow the suit until there is proof that Claudio has died. He gives Claudio 3 days to present himself. Claudio jumps forth, claiming he does not need these 3 days.

Song 11: I am Here, I am Me, We are meant to be (Claudio)

I am here.
I am Me
We are meant to be.

Here’s the horn from the dragon
I took it from his head
Here’s the horn from the dragon
That I killed and left for dead.

I am here
I am Me. we are meant to be.
Here’s the proof I did stay
In the castle for three days
I saw many things and my hairs turned to grey
But I stayed.

I am here.
I am me
We are meant to be.

My lord you spoke true
For the hardest thing, twas true
I looked low, I looked high, below and above
But the answer to your riddle, it is love.

I am here.
I am Me
We are meant to be.

Story: The court has heard the tales of Claudio’s deeds and he has won their hearts. The Lord too has heard tales of his deed and knows he is worthy of Isabella, who’s face is shining with joy that Claudio has returned.

Song Twelve: Happiness (Isabella)

It does not matter to me who you seem to be;
I look inside of you, and beauty is what I see
But the world needs to think you enough for me.
You have returned and no happier could I be.

We will live together as one
We will live together til our lives are done.
I am happiest now that you’re with me.
I am happier than I could ever be.

The world now knows what I knew all along
To make you prove yourself may have been wrong.
But the world knows you are brave and strong.
And I knew that all along.

(Claudio Joins)

We will live together as one
We will live together til our lives are done.
I am happiest now that you’re with me.
I am happier than I could ever be.

Story: He marries the lord’s daughter and remains a hero in the land. Their lives are troubled from time to time, by things internal and factors external, but they stay together, for they love each other.

The End