Born and raised in Sheffield, Matthew Warren is a composer, writer, researcher and educator who believes creativity is central to what people can contribute to the world.

Now lecturing at University College Isle of Man, he is preparing Caillagh, the first opera written in Manx, premiering September 25, 2026.

Reporter Sadie Gilbert spoke with him as preparations begin...

We meet Jinnee, a young woman grieving her mother, on St Stephen's Day during the hunt the wren. She catches a wren, an encounter that turns out to be much more than she had foreseen.

The story explores feminist themes of freedom, coercion, and conformity as Jinnee wrestles with her own identity and the loss of her mother in the shadow of the story of the enigmatic enchantress, Tehi Tegi.

I hope people will take away a new kind of appreciation for the musicality of the Manx Language. Opera writing is unlike any other form of vocal writing and allows the language to be put at the forefront, flowing freely with the rhythm of the words.

So, I hope this is an exciting new way to encounter the Manx language.

I also hope people will go away thinking about the story's themes: conformity, patriarchy, coercion, and freedom. If they were to leave asking themselves how they could help one another be free of oppression, that would be yindyssagh.

I would also love people to go away excited about Manx folktales and interested in rereading, reinterpreting, and retelling these stories.

In a conversation with officers at Culture Vannin, I was asked if I thought there were any kinds of music that could be done here that currently aren't.

After six months of pondering that question, I developed the idea of an opera in Manx. Opera has the unique feature of being an incredibly multi-lingual musical tradition, with performers and audiences being used to works in all sorts of different languages.

This means that the language, which might be an obstacle for other types of music, is par for the course in opera and offers a special opportunity to exhibit the Manx language to a new audience both here and overseas.

David Dawson is the director. He is a stalwart of the Isle of Man's theatre scene whom readers will know from shows such as Guys and Dolls and the Hunchback of Notre Dame.

Bob Carswell RBV is a Manx librettist. A leading light of the Manx revival and the leading creator of Manx translations for musical performances. We've been incredibly lucky to have Bob onboard, supported by Culture Vannin, to create the Manx libretto from the opera from my original English text.

We are also hugely indebted to all of the people and organisations supporting the production: Everyone who supported the crowdfunding campaign, Culture Vannin, Arts Council, Island Escapes, and Steam Packet.

Caillagh would not be coming to life without all of these supporters.

Caillagh is a chamber opera, designed to be professionally performed and then toured overseas after the premiere. The opera, therefore, has a cast of just two people: one dancer and one singer. The Talland Quartet will perform as the ensemble.

Ticket are available now. More information is available on Matthews website: https://www.matthewwarren.info/caillagh