Handel in Rome: soprano Nardus Williams makes solo debut with Dunedin Consort

Having made an impression with her performance as Belinda in Errollyn Wallen's opera Dido's Ghost with the Dunedin Consort [see my review], soprano Nardus Williams is returning to sing with the consort in her solo debut with them in an all-Handel concert, Handel in Rome, directed by Benjamin Bayl. This is the first of a series of projects that the consort is doing with Nardus Williams.

Handel in Rome features some of the dazzling music that Handel wrote for his Italian patrons whilst he was in Rome during 1707 and 1708. Opera was banned in the city at the time, so composers and patrons turned to other large-scale forms and the concert includes arias from two of Handel's Italian oratorios, Il trionfo del Tempo e del Disinganno and La Resurrezione. But much of the time, Handel wrote for private events held by his patrons and we here two of his smaller scale cantatas, Ero e Leandro (telling the story of Hero and Leander) and Tra le fiamme, telling the story of Daedelus. There will also be instrumental music including one of his Opus 6 concerto grossos.

Benjamin Bayl is a former student of the Dunedin Consort's music director, John Butt, and this will be the first time that Bayl has directed the consort.

There are performances at Glasgow University Chapel (28 March), Greyfriars Kirk, Edinburgh (29 March), Wigmore Hall, London (30 March), Saffron Hall, Saffron Walden (31 March). Full details from the Dunedin Consort's website.