Passengers on an overnight train witnessed the world premiere of an opera inspired by items of luggage.

The world premiere of an opera took place on a sleeper train travelling from Aberdeen to London on Monday. Belongings, a “miniature music theatre piece inspired by items of luggage carried by railway passengers”, marks the first time an opera has been performed on board a Caledonian Sleeper Service.

“This is absolutely fabulous and what a surprise, a great surprise,” a delighted audience member and train passenger told BBC Radio 4 arts correspondent Colin Paterson.

Performed in the lounge of the train by tenor Robert Lewis and cellist Zosia Jagodzinska, the seven-movement, 25-minute opera was composed by Samuel Bordoli with a libretto by Bill Bankes-Jones.

“There’s a stigma and a nervousness and an awkwardness about new opera that I think comes from the industry,” Bankes-Jones, who also directed and commissioned the work, said in BBC Radio 4’s report. “Because what we found is our audiences, when you don’t have to go through a door by a ticket, or admit that you’re going to a new opera, have been absolutely phenomenal. This is in complete contrast to what happens if you have to go sit under a chandelier somewhere very gilded amongst people who’ve paid £500 for a ticket, it’s just a different story.”

The work was commissioned by Scotland’s soundfestival and London’s Tête à Tête: The Opera Festival, making it only fitting that it should have its premiere on a journey between the two locations. Bankes-Jones, who is the director of Tête à Tête, told the BBC: “Our performances on the sleeper was designed to welcome audiences from two of the countries’ most creative cities to sample new music and works.”

“We were delighted to be able to take this initiative forward with special performances on the sleeper,” Fiona Robertson, director of soundfestival, said. “We hope hearing this opera will encourage people to come and enjoy more performances both at Tête à Tête and soundfestival.”

Belongings will be performed on the sleeper in November when it travels from London to Aberdeen. The public will also have the chance to see the opera when it is performed as a pop-up work at London’s King’s Cross Station in the next few weeks.