Purcell: Dido & Aeneas

A monumental work in Baroque opera, sometimes called the first English operatic masterpiece. Based on Virgil’s Aeneid, the opera tells of love and tragedy between Dido, Queen of Carthage, and the Trojan hero Aeneas, and will close our 2025 season.

This new production features one of the world’s leading baroque ensembles, Barokksolistene, and offering fresh and vibrant arrangements of Purcell’s score.

This version of Dido and Aeneas will be expanded into a full evening of entertainment, restoration-extravaganza style. Barroksolistene and Erlend Samnøen will unpack the emotions of key characters, weaving in additional tunes from the wider Purcell canon, along with folk ballads and sea-shanties to enrich the storytelling. After Dido's death and the exquisite choral lament "With Drooping Wings" there will be a rousing wake for the Queen of Carthage.

For the Longborough Emerging Artists and Youth Chorus, the opportunity to take part in this project will be inspirational, and for audiences, this promises to be a barnstorming end to a thrilling season. The project will be led by Bjarte Eike, one of the leading exponents in Baroque fiddle, and directed by Norwegian stage director and choreographer Erlend Samnøen.