An evocation of amorous passion in 17th – 18th century London with music by Henry Purcell, Jeremiah Clarke, Thomas Arne and George Frederick Handel interspersed with vivid and entertaining readings from letters and diaries of the time. Musical highlights of this delightful programme include “Sound the Trumpet” and “Fairest Isle” by Purcell and Handel’s “Air and Variations” (The Harmonious Blacksmith). The programme concludes with a delicious scene from Handel’s opera Teseo.

We welcome back the Musicke Companye (“one of the most gifted and more musically intelligent of all the early music groups currently before the public” – Musical Opinion) on their third visit to the Amersham Festival of Music. This unique ensemble entertains with choreographed arias and songs, interwoven with instrumental music, stories, letters and diaries. Vitality, passion, virtuosity and colour are the essence of the Musicke Companye in this stunning evocation of life in Restoration London.

The Musicke Companye, including Paul Esswood (one of the best–known counter–tenors of our time) has performed on stage, radio and television throughout Europe to great critical acclaim. Recent appearances have included festivals in Buxton, Cardiff, Barcelona, Zagreb, Cracow, and in Norway, Denmark Italy and France.

Tickets: £15, £10