THE FAIRY QUEEN by Henry Purcell

at Wyke House, Wyke Champflower, Somerset BA10 0PW

Saturday 1^st July from 6pm

Amy Carson, soprano

Emily Vine, soprano

Thomas Hobbs, tenor

Timothy Dickinson, bass-baritone

Sunset Sounds presents a semi-staged performance of Purcell’s The Fairy Queen with a live orchestral ensemble in the picturesque gardens of Wyke House, in the village of Wyke Champflower, Somerset.

The performance will be interspersed with poetry readings inspired by themes in the opera, and by ‘A Midsummer Night’s Dream’. Of course, ‘The Fairy Queen’ isn’t really an opera at all, rather a semi-opera, intended to be performed alongside a retelling of Shakespeare’s story. Essentially, the performers have made selections from Purcell’s music and created their own “libretto” with the readings.

Staged entirely outdoors, the performance will move between two different areas of the garden with a picnic interval. It is a chance to enjoy “country house opera” in an intimate, relaxed and informal setting surrounded by the beautiful Somerset countryside. Audience members are invited to bring a picnic, a blanket and a chair. Some straw bale seating will be provided. It promises to be a really magical evening, as performers and audience move from one space to another, and fire pits are lit as the sun goes down.

All four singers perform internationally and are based in Somerset, and the performance is intended to celebrate the many talented musicians who have made the South-West of England their home. The instrumental ensemble is Music for AWhile, led by Margaret Faultless, who is currently leading the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment in ‘Don Giovanni’ at Glyndebourne.

Wyke House is the home of Will and Poppy Tuke, who first opened the gardens to the public for Sunset Sounds Opera Gala in 2021. In 2022, the Tukes hosted two performances of ‘Acis & Galatea’ in a reduced edition featuring three soloists including tenor Hugo Hymas.

Tickets £35

Booking link https://www.eventbrite.co.uk/e/the-fairy-queen-tickets-579123362567