THE COMET HUNTRESS
Our story follows Caroline Herschel, who moved to Bath in 1772 to join her brother William’s orchestra as an opera singer, but soon began assisting him with his astronomical work and grew into a distinguished astronomer herself. On August 1, 1786, she discovered her first comet, making her the first woman to receive official recognition for such a feat and the acclaim that followed, including a pension from King George III, establishing her as the first professional female astronomer, and earning her the nickname, The Comet Huntress.
Caroline Herschel helped pave the way for women in science, showing that discovery knows no gender. As the first recognised female astronomer, she broke barriers that inspire today’s push for inclusive STEM education, reminding us that diverse voices are vital to innovation.
If Opera is excited to be working with multi award-winning, Bradford on Avon based composer/lyricist Tim Gilvin, to commission a new family opera based on the life of Caroline Herschel.
We’ve got to know Tim through our schools outreach projects and although classically trained, Tim has made exceptional contributions to music theatre, with various shows including; Cable Street which received rave reviews, and following a sell-out run at Southwark Playhouse Feb-March 2024, is set to go back into the Marylebone Theatre in January 2026, and Unfortunate (the Untold Story of Ursula the Sea Witch) which has been touring the UK following the 2023 London run.
“I am very excited to be working with If Opera to turn Caroline’s story into an hour-long piece for families, exploring the wonders of music, space, and the power of quiet determination.” Tim Gilvin
“One of the country’s brightest and most interesting new songwriters” BritishTheatre.com
Get involved
This is a bold and exciting new step for If Opera. We have raised the funds already to commission the music and libretto, and now we are fundraising for the workshop and production costs. If you are interested in supporting this project and would like to hear more, please get in touch: debbieheyden@ifopera.com or 01225 868124.