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Handel’s Heroines

Academy of Ancient Music

Mary Bevan portrait laughing AAM

Few composers faced feistier sopranos than Handel, nor wrote for them with such love and understanding, celebrating their voices in some of the most dazzling operatic arias ever written.

From Handel’s exhilarating Arrival of the Queen of Sheba to the meltingly lovely ‘Lascia la spina’ and Semele’s outrageous display of virtuosity, ‘Myself I shall adore’ this is a concert of high-wire musical thrills and heart-stopping emotions.

Celebrated Handelian Laurence Cummings brings his unmistakable flair and zest to a programme that roams through the composer’s best-loved operas and oratorios, including Serse, Ariodante, Rinaldo, Semele, setting their finest arias and duets alongside some of the composer’s characterful works for orchestra.

Bringing glittering coloratura brilliance and lyrical ease to Handel’s melodies, sopranos Mary Bevan and Jennifer France join Cummings and the AAM as soloists for what promises to be a joyous evening of music-making.

The performance is expected to finish around 9.30pm, including a 20 minute interval.

In partnership with London Handel Festival.

Pre-concert talk

There will be a pre-concert talk at 6.30pm, free to ticket-holders

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photo of handel

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architecture detail of the barbican hall

Composer Focus – Episode 1: George Frideric Handel with Iestyn Davies

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Milton Court Concert Hall