And when the dance was over, I just wished the bride were mine. All mixed up in my head. And I wasn't afraid Of a hundred grinning Trolls. Programme Note Short Note. The story is an Orkney version of a widespread folktale.
Storm is drawn away to play for audiences underground.
The grateful trolls grant his wish that his people should no longer have to work, but they trick him by keeping him much longer than he thinks. Reunited, the two friends go off to a party, where Storm finds that people have become utterly passive through the indulgence of the trolls, devoting their time to television, pop music and other horrors. He strikes up a new tune to break the spell and restore his people to useful activity. A celebratory haggis is piped in, and a final chorus points the moral. Das Libretto basiert auf der Orkney-Version einer weitverbreiteten Volksage.