Bragi participated in an odd premiere in the spring of 2003.  Odd, because this was the North-American first performance of an opera composed in 1707, almost 300 years prior to this performance.

Florida State Opera put on John Eccles’ Semele, from the libretto of William Congreve. No, not Händel’s Semele – this other guy also wrote one (-:

Bragi was cast into the role of Somnus, the God of sleep (better known, really, as Hypnos, although not in this libretto).  That was cool, because when you’re the God of sleep, you can miss countless rehearsals and always use the excuse that you overslept!

Somnus finally wakes up in the beginning of the 3rd act and sings Leave Me, Loathsome Light (he’s sensitive to the light after being asleep for so many centuries, you see?)

When the evil women who woke him up (Juno and Iris) remind him of his long lost love (the reason he went to sleep in the first place – it was too painful to stay awake), he sings More Sweet is That Name 

Finally, for some reason that I forget, Somnus and Juno decide it’s time to skedaddle, and jointly sing the song Away Let Us Haste