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Purcell King Arthur
No-one who saw the NLC's stunning reworking of The Fairy Queen will want to miss this!
11 March 2012 Manchester Bridgewater Hall
17 March 2012 Paris Cité de la Musique
The Paris performance has been sold-out for months but check the hall's website for last-minute returns
Cast
Continuing their internationally-acclaimed exploration of Purcell’s dramatic masterpieces, Philip Pickett and the New London Consort return to Manchester and Paris in March 2012 with a unique and iconoclastic version of King Arthur.
Celebrating the triumph of good over evil and conjuring up all the glories and mysteries of Arthur's enchanted Island Realm, Purcell and Merlin the magician together tell a gripping tale of love, battles, betrayal and abduction, sorcery and the supernatural, all set in a time of war between Saxons and Britons.
With a colourful orchestra of baroque trumpets, drums, oboes, bassoon, recorders, strings, English theorbo and harpsichord, Purcell’s vibrant score contains some of his most evocative, characterful and famous music, including the incredible Frost Scene.
Pagans sacrifice, Warriors triumph, Spirits enchant, Nymphs and Shepherds pipe and dance, the Cold Genius shivers, naked Sirens seduce, Venus sings Fairest Isle and Comus & his crew bawl out their Harvest Home.
With narration by Merlin and magical lighting effects by master shinemonger Ace McCarron.
Oliver Cotton is Merlin