The Garden of the Hesperides

The Garden of the Hesperides is a piece inspired by the work of Edward Calvert, 'Hesperides: Dance around the Golden Tree' from the 19th century. According to myth, the Hesperides, also known as Erythrai, were the nymphs of the evening and golden light of sunsets; the Daughters of the Evening and of the titan Atlas. They tend a blissful garden somewhere in the far western corners of the world. The garden belongs to Hera, wife of Zeus. Within the garden there stands a tree of golden apples. The Hesperides tend to it, play music, dance and sing. Unknown to Hera, the nymphs occasionally take some of the apples for themselves. The 'apple of discord', which, according to legend started the Trojan war, also comes from this garden.