Purcell's Dido and Aeneas, conducted by Robert Hollingworth

Purcell’s pocket-opera Dido and Aeneas tells a tragic love story in less than an hour, encompassing humour and drama before culminating in the deeply moving aria known as Dido’s Lament. This semi-staged performance from I Fagiolini and an an impressive cast of acclaimed soloists is the first time the festival will have presented an opera in the renowned acoustic of its venue St Marys' Church. The first half will demonstrate the depth and range of the composer dubbed ‘Britain’s Orpheus’ with a series of shorter pieces of vocal and instrumental music.

Find out more about Purcell's skills as a composer and dramatist at Nick Kenyon's talk earlier in the day.