Essays on Sculpture is the journal of the Henry Moore Institute. Each issue focuses on the problems of sculpture, with Essay 75 dedicated to an experimental contemporary opera.

The Virtues of Things is a collaboration between writer/performer Sally O’Reilly and composer Matt Rogers, both of whom are leading in their fields.

Set in a prop-making workshop, the opera is a tale of how objects are given meaning. From bell jars to epidemics via family dramas and entrepreneurial invention, this is an investigation into moral values and their association with inanimate things.

Essay 75 features the full libretto, vivid images of the production and a roundtable discussion exploring sculptural thinking.

Written in 2015, The Virtues of Things is a co-commission and co-production between Aldeburgh Music, Opera North and The Royal Opera.