George Frideric Handel

Rinaldo

Act 1 Scene 5, Act 2 Scene 5

Armida

Mengyixuan Qi

Argante

Aidan O’Donnell

Rinaldo

Roei Shafrir

Almirena

Becky Haisell (tacit)

Armida is a powerful sorceress; Argante is her sometime lover, and her ally in the fight against an invading army. Rinaldo is the chief fighter of the opposing force; although victorious in battle, he is devastated in his personal life due to the abduction of his fiancée, Almirena, by Armida.

Armida descends from the sky in a chariot pulled by dragons.

Argante is overcome by Almirena’s purity and beauty.

Armida is fiercely attracted to Rinaldo, her enemy; he rebuffs her advances, and she tries every trick in the book to win him over.

George Frideric Handel

Deidamia

Act 2 Scene 2

Deidamia

Grace Oliver

Nerea

Jiho Park

The oracle predicted that Achilles would die if he fought in the Trojan War. In an attempt to avoid this fate, Achilles was sent to live at the court of Lycomedes, disguised as a girl; later becoming the secret lover of Princess Deidamia. As the Greeks prepare for their war against Troy, Ulysses arrives, searching for the missing Achilles.

Having observed Ulysses and Deidamia in conversation, Achilles becomes jealous and threatens to leave her. Deidamia is used to Achilles’ temper, but this outburst fuels her fears that their relationship won’t last. Her friend, Nerea brings news that the King has declared a hunt will take place. In order to distract the visitors and protect Achilles, the two girls must act as perfect hostesses, flirting with the men and flattering their egos.

Henry Purcell

The Fairy-Queen

Dialogue of Mopsa and Corydon

Mopsa

Becky Haisell

Corydon

Will Jowett

Mopsa and Corydon have different hopes and expectations about the status of their relationship. Corydon has suggested a camping holiday to get away from the stress of the city; he wants to keep the atmosphere light and playful. Mopsa has a more pressing agenda.

Henry Purcell

‘Dance of the Haymakers’ from The Fairy-Queen (completed by Christopher Suckling)

danced by BMus 3 & 4 singers

Dancers

Teresa Campos Sa Cachada

Felix Grace

Lily McNeill

Ella Moran

Pamelina Oubinova

Nadia Potter

Moses Torto

Jinchen Zhao

Elisabeth Jacquet de la Guerre

Céphale et Procris

Act 1 Scene 7, Act 2 Scenes 2 & 3

Le Roi

Ben Hendry-Watkins

La prêtresse

Katharina Russell

Céphale

Alexandre Allix

Procris

Anaïs Manz

The King of Athens announces that his daughter, Procris, will be married to Céphale.  Unfortunately, this arrangement displeases the gods, and Athena sends her Priestess to forbid the match, forcing Procris to marry Borée, and Céphale to go into exile. Their hopes dashed before they’ve even got to know one another, Céphale and Procris try to navigate the road ahead.

George Frideric Handel

Semele

Scenes from Act 2

Semele

Calla Knudson-Hollebon

Jupiter

Jacob Cole

Juno

Eva Stone-Barney

Jupiter has whisked Semele away from her wedding day, much to Semele’s delight. She wants him to elevate her to his level; he knows this won’t wash with his fellow Olympians, and tries unsuccessfully to distract her from her aim.

Juno, wife of Jupiter and defender of marriage, disguises herself as Semele’s sister, and offers her a strategy: withhold sex from Jupiter unless he agrees to appear in his true form, and this will grant her immortality. Of course Juno knows that it will prove fatal for the hapless Semele. Jupiter returns, and Semele tries out her plan.

André Campra

Les fêtes vénitiennes

Première entrée

Zélie

Anaïs Manz

Léandre

Will Jowett

Zélie has disguised herself as a fortune teller so that she may question Léandre, a young man with whom she is in a relationship. It becomes apparent that Léandre worships freely and frequently at the shrine of Amour.

Francesco Cavalli

La Calisto

Scene 19

Pane

Alexandre Allix

Silvano

Ben Hendry-Watkins

Satirino

Calla Knudson-Hollebon

Pan loves Diana, but she now spurns him and loves another, younger, more handsome guy. Pan is both depressed and bitter about the situation. His friends, Silvano and Satirino, attempt to console him with suggestions of stalking Diana and taking revenge.

Francesco Cavalli

‘Dance for Six Bears’ from La Calisto

danced by BMus 3 & 4 singers

George Frideric Handel

Sosarme, re di Media

Act 1 Scene 7

Altomaro

Max Catalano

Elmira

Katharina Russell

Sosarme

Eva Stone-Barney

Prince Argone has rebelled against his father, King Haliate of Lydia, wrongly believing that Haliate plans to put his illegitimate son Melo on the throne. Argone, his mother, and his sister Elmira, are currently trapped inside the besieged city of Sardis.

Altomaro, advisor to Sosarme, is secretly trying to convince Melo to take the throne by force. And if Melo lacks the necessary chutzpah, Altomaro himself will take the throne.

King Sosarme, the fiancé of Elmira, is trying to mediate between the warring father and son. Elmira believes that Sosarme has been killed in battle, but he is in fact only wounded. They realise that they have passed through the gates of torment to joy.