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It’s been a couple of weeks now since I sang Monteverdi Vespers, and the concert of a lifetime was followed by a rather spectacular holiday too, so this final blog post in my Vespers diary comes after a bit of time to reflect. Thank you everyone who has put up with this year’s Monteverdi obsession: here are the final words on the subject.
Handel’s Giulio Cesare is a sumptuous feast of an opera, with one ravishing aria after another. I’m absolutely thrilled that ETO have chosen it for this autumn’s production, coming to Durham for two nights in October, and to introduce you to my favourite Handel opera, I’ve put together a summary and playlist of the best arias.
When I’m learning big pieces of music, I like to submerge myself in recordings so that I have a deep sense of how my part fits in with everything else that’s going on. Normally, picking a recording is quite a straightforward process, but choosing which version of Monteverdi’s Vespers to listen to has been a bit more of an adventure.
A selection of this autumn’s concerts, including five glorious days of early music from The Sixteen, I Fagiolini and English Touring Opera.
A blog post with some musings on making choices about what to listen to, as I confront the awful fear of becoming too set in my ways.
A gentle, prayerful Monteverdi Vespers with some ravishing solo singing, performed one-per-part by the Bishop’s Consort in Durham Cathedral Chapter House.
His Majestys Sagbutts and Cornets and Durham Cathedral Choir bring the glorious sounds of early Venetian brass music to Durham Cathedral.
Contemporary music from the rich choral traditions of Northern Europe (including a hat-trick of Baltic composers) forms the basis of a wonderfully peaceful summer concert by Northern Spirit Singers.
A riotously fun production of Will Todd’s jazz opera, Alice in Wonderland, performed in the gardens of St John’s College by Durham Opera Ensemble. There are two more performances and the weather forecast looks good, so grab a picnic rug and get a ticket.
Music in Durham brings you classical music listings, previews, reviews and news for Durham, with a bit of random blogging thrown in. The concert listing pages bring together classical music events from across the City and the University, so whether you’re looking for a great concert to go to, or if you’re planning something and want to avoid clashes, this is the place to look.
