Because of his wisdom in choosing his librettist, Taylor commenced his work with a drama that cried out for musical setting, for a tonal accompaniment to its atmosphere, and to the thoughts and actions of its people; and if in the making of it he has fallen under the spell of Wagner’s musical delineation of the kindred love-drama Tristan, or of Debussy, whose love scene in Pelleas is akin to the forest scene in The King’s Henchman, who can blame him, for who could have avoided it? Taylor himself has said:
“Its form has undoubtedly been influenced by the methods of past masters ...; as to that, I can only hope that its spiritual grandfather may turn out to be Wagner rather than Puccini.”
The score of The King’s Henchman makes frequent use of the leit-motif, to represent both actual characters, and abstract conceptions. The short prelude opens with the King (Eadgar) motive:
This is frequently found, later in the action, in a broader, more lyric form:
After a brief development, the curtain rises and reveals the hall of King Eadgar’s castle with the King and his nobles seated at the table, while Maccus, the harper, sings of deeds of valor. Then follows a choral response, with the words:
“Be the day far off, O harper
When thy harp is unstrung!
And thy hand still,