Fairest Isle: a world-beating cast joins Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort in a concert performance of Purcell and Dryden’s King Arthur.

‘What ho! Thou genius of this isle, what ho! Liest thou asleep beneath those hills…?’ Ancient forces lurk in the woods and meadows of the English countryside, and pagan sorcerers, naughty nymphs and the wizard Merlin all have a part to play as King Arthur leads the struggle for peace, truth and (of course) love. Purcell’s enchanting ‘semi-opera’ is the original West End song-and-dance spectacular and few performers are better equipped to re-create it than Paul McCreesh and the Gabrieli Consort. With a cast that includes Anna Dennis, Rowan Pierce and Marcus Farnsworth, this is Baroque opera at its most fantastic.

Programme:
Purcell King Arthur

Performers:
Anna Dennis, Mhairi Lawson, Rowan Pierce sopranos
Jeremy Budd, Christopher Fitzgerald-Lombard, Matthew Long, Thomas Castle tenors
Marcus Farnsworth, Matthew Brook bass-baritones
Gabrieli Consort and Players
Paul McCreesh artistic director