Camerata RNCM Dido featured on BBC
Posted on June 22, 2010
BBC Radio 3’s Discovering Music has featured Manchester Camerata’s Dido and Aeneas.
Purcell’s 350th anniversary was celebrated in January last year with a semi-staged performance of his most famous opera which was staged in partnership with the Royal Northern College of Music.
Dido, Queen of Carthage, falls in love with Aeneas, only to be thwarted by an evil sorceress who, disguised as the God Mercury, reminds Aeneas of his destiny to become the founder of the Roman Empire. His departure leaves Dido heartbroken, and leads to an inevitably tragic ending.
RNCM students took the lead roles and provided members of the chorus.
The concert began with a BBC Radio 3 Discovering Music recording, exploring excerpts from the opera, followed by the performance after an interval. See this recording.
Performers:
Nicholas Kraemer conductor
Carolina Krogius Dido
Philip Smith Aeneas
Fleur Bray Belinda
Hanna-Liisa Midwood-Kirchin Second Woman
Kathryn Rudge Sorceress
Elise Dye First Witch
Soraya Mafi Second Witch
David Shaw Sailor
Jennifer France Spirit
RNCM Chorus
Manchester Camerata Learning Project
During December 2008 and January 2009, 25 pupils from Chorlton High School worked with composer Richard Barnard, dramatist Anna Jewitt, Camerata musicians and vocal students from RNCM to develop a prequel to Dido and Aeneas.