SIR GEORGE DYSON himself took over responsibility for the Sadler's Wells Opera until a new director could be appointed. He spent most of the summer of 1945 trying to mend fences and instil some discipline into the company. He arranged for a new season to begin at Sadler's Wells on Boxing Day and asked the baritone and producer, Clive Carey, to run it. Carey, who had been associated with the Sadler's Wells company and its Old Vic predecessor since the 1920s, was reluctant to become involved, but Dyson eventually prevailed on him to accept. There was a good deal of argument with singers over contracts. Dyson warned that if they would not agree to the terms off ered, “then we shall have to face the fact and disband.” It was, he said, impossible to cope with “the nightmare of division” much longer.

Dyson called for higher standards in singing and playing, and urged CEMA's successor, the Arts Council, to give the company a grant rather than a guarantee against loss – “It would then be possible to estimate our resources.” In an act of reconciliation with the previous regime he persuaded Lawrance Collingwood (who had declined to join the ENSA tour) to stay on as musical director and wrote to Pears and Cross, inviting them to appear as guest artists in a revival of Peter Grimes during the new London season. Pears replied almost immediately. He would do it, he said, provided Goodall and Crozier were also involved. There was no problem as far as Goodall was concerned, since he was anxious to remain with Sadler's Wells. Cross and Crozier also agreed to take part.

The company sailed for Hamburg, the first stop on its tour, on 28 August, only four months aft er VE-day. Germany was in chaos. Dyson told George Chamberlain, general manager of Sadler's Wells Theatre, that he had heard that “Legge is, as we expected, virtually assuming that he can do anything he likes with anybody, and he rides roughshod, as we all know. I think Hamburg will teach the company a lot about the problems of management.