The year 1754 was an exciting year for the City of Norwich. This was the year that the iconic Assembly House was built by Thomas Ivory, designed as the first fashionable venue for music, dancing and socialising that the city had seen.

"Enchanting Norwich" at the historic Assembly House brings to life the music and stories of 1754–55, when the venue first opened. This programme aims to capture the sense of excitement - the musical buzz - that must have permeated the rooms during this year and the aftermath of its grand opening in 1755. It includes William Boyce’s Symphony No. 1 in B-flat major and Charles Avison’s Op. 4 concerti grossi, echoing the music that might have filled the Assembly House in its early days.

Framing the concert is Francesco Geminiani’s The Enchanted Forest, with excerpts opening and closing each half. Pieces from James Oswald’s Airs for the Seasons and a song by composer, singer and keyboard player Elisabetta de Gambarini are featured. The programme also highlights the story of soprano Miss Cecilia Young through arias like Handel’s Tornami a vagheggiar and Thomas Arne’s Where the bee sucks.