What's our story?
We are four young artists on the cusp of our professional careers. We were all offered a place on a French Baroque Festival academy in August (Festival du Perigord Noir) where we were given the opportunity to study and interpret our roles (Bellezza, Piacere, Disinganno and Tempo). As this was primarily a training programme, each role was shared with 3 other singers, and so we are yet to perform these fantastic roles in their entirety.
What's our aim?
To perform Handel's first oratorio - 'Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno' - to a UK audience, and create for ourselves the opportunity to perform each of our respective complete roles. The performance is booked for St Anne's Church, Lewes, 7.30pm on the 6th October 2018.
What do we need from you?
We'd love your attendance more than anything, but if this is not possible, we would be very grateful for a donation!
We have organised the whole concert from scratch. With no no pre-secured funds, no choral society reserves (there is no chorus in this oratorio) and currently no sponsorship, the cost for hiring our fantastic (reduced) orchestra alone will come to 2800GBP. Our total cost including publicity and hiring fees comes to over £3000. We are not paying ourselves a fee to sing the solos. It would be fantastic to be able to raise as much of this as possible, so that we can go into the concert and focus on the music, rather than the maths.
About the performance
Handel's first oratorio, 'Il trionfo del tempo e del disinganno' (The Triumph of Time and Disenchantment) had its premiere in Rome in 1707. The plot surrounds the conflict between earthly pleasures and divine grace.
Bellezza (Beauty) knows that one day her beauty will fade, but Piacere (Pleasure) tries to convince her that this is not the case, and in doing so, promises her eternal beauty. Tempo (Time) and Disinganno (Disenchantment) do their best to warn Belleza that like a flower, beauty and it's charms will not last. Bellezza eventually discovers the truth, and frees herself from vanity, and in doing so, turns her heart to God.
Soloists:
Susanna MacRae - Bellezza
Thalie Knights - Piacere
Clara Kanter - Disinganno
Matúš Šimko - Tempo
Accompanied by The Baroque Collective (leader Alison Bury) and conducted by John Hancorn.