Rocking Horse Winner Cast Recording

Buy the Rocking Horse Winner cast recording, a beautiful, moving and multi-award winning single act opera

Rocking Horse Winner is the story of Ava and her son Paul. Their house, and a rocking horse, whisper words that only Paul can hear. When the voice of the house grows more urgent in whispering “there must be more money,” Paul enlists his lucky rocking horse to tell him the names of live horse race winners. He begins betting with great success, but each win comes at an enormous cost.

Based on a D.H. Lawrence story

Rocking Horse Winner is based on a short story of the same title by D.H. Lawrence. This powerful one-act opera that combines elements of magical realism and lyrical minimalism in an intimate look at love, luck, and greed.

The opera received 9 Dora Mavor Moore Award nominations and 5 awards in 2017, including: Outstanding Male Performance by Asitha Tennekoon, Outstanding Lighting Design by Michelle Ramsay, Outstanding Ensemble, Outstanding Direction by Michael Hidetoshi Mori, and Outstanding Production.

As heard on CBC

The recording has been broadcast twice on CBC Music’s Saturday Afternoon at the Opera. Its broadcast debut was share with listeners by host Ben Heppner on December 26 2020, and again by new host Marion Newman on October 2 2021.

With thanks

The Rocking Horse Winner by DH Lawrence ⓒ the Estate of Frieda Lawrence Ravagli and Cambridge University Press 1995. Adapted and reproduced by permission of Paper Lion Limited and the Estate of Frieda Lawrence Ravagli.

The Rocking Horse Winner album is kindly supported by Cornelia Schuh and Michiel Horn. Midori Marsh and Stephen Bell appear with the generous support of Linda and Michael Hutcheon.