Musicke in the Ayre, Din Ghani, Jane Hunt, Maria Danishvar Brown

In trying to recreate how the ancient Greeks might have performed their dramas, Italian composers at the beginning of the 17th century gave birth to what we now call Baroque music, with opera as a key element. This concert traces the progress of this new musical style from Italy through to England, starting with the early pioneers such as Peri, Caccini and Monteverdi, and explores its influence on English composers such as Johnson, Lanier and Purcell. On the way, we also stop off in France and Spain, with music by Lambert, Lully, and Marin.

The programme consists of solo songs and duets, all accompanied by lute or archlute, plus a few lute solos.