Nice merchandizing stuff there, and it makes me wonder if my sister and I had any of that when we were kids. We certainly knew the H&G story, had plenty of childrens' books, and certainly some records. I'll have to ask my sister what she remembers.
Bottom line on my reaction to the opera: The music is incredibly beautiful throughout, and I hadn't ever dived into it enough to know that. Everyone "knows" the Evening Prayer, of course, but as with most things, hearing it properly played and sung can blow you away.
DR Elmore: Is there a "best" edition of the score out there, or does it matter?