‘The Bride of Dunkerron’ was written for the Birmingham Festival of 1864. The poem by Frederick Enoch is founded on a legend concerning a Lord of Dunkerron, whose castle was on the coast of Kerry, who fell in love with a sea-maiden and followed her to her watery home. She seeks the Sea-King’s consent to their union, which he not only refuses to give but condemns her to death for loving a mortal and drives her lover from his realm by a tempest which casts his body upon the shores. There are solo parts for the Sea-Maiden (soprano), Dunkerron (tenor), and the Sea-King (bass). The solos are numerous and uniformly grateful, the most conspicuous ones being Dunkerron’s simple but charming song as he waits on the seashore for the maiden’s appearing (‘The full moon is beaming’), the Sea-King’s aria (‘Oh, the earth is fair in plain and glade’), and the maiden’s graceful song (‘Our home shall be on this bright isle’) which she sings as she departs to win the consent of the Sea-King. The chorus has important work to do and Smart shows conspicuous skill in handling this factor. The opening number is in reality a double chorus of peasants who tell of Dunkerron’s nightly watch by the sea, and sea-maidens who sing the enticing songs that prove to be his undoing. After the long love-duet between Dunkerron and the maiden, there ensues a brisk and stirring chorus which depicts the journey of the lovers through the waters to the maiden’s dwelling-place. The sea-maidens sing several attractive choruses and a chorus of storm-spirits (‘Roar, wind of the tempest, roar’) foretells the impending tragedy and leads to a dramatic trio for the three characters. The king’s angry edict dooms the lovers and the double chorus of peasants and sea-maidens closes the work as it began it, but the mood is now one of sad lament over the tragic dénouement.