Musicfest Vancouver presents Henry Purcell's King Arthur August 10, 2011

Alexander Weimann, keyboards & music director
Featuring: Suzie LeBlanc, Ellen Hargis, Shannon Mercer, Catherine Webster, Matthew White, Colin Balzer, Aaron Sheehan, Tyler Duncan, Sumner Thompson, Nathaniel Watson, and the Early Music Vancouver Baroque Festival Orchestra and Chorus

Following the 2009 production of Henry Purcell's The Faerie Queene, which was “set – and sung – to perfection" (Globe and Mail), Early Music Vancouver is delighted to present the composer's music for King Arthur to a libretto by John Dryden. The story centres on Arthur’s quest to free his beloved from the clutches of the Saxon, King Oswald. Featuring battles between Britons and Saxons, with appearances by Cupid, Venus, Woden, Thor, and Freya, King Arthur is a feast of French dance rhythms and adventurous harmonies. This remarkable concert features the largest ensemble of singers and instrumentalists ever assembled for an Early Music Vancouver performance – including an extraordinary cast of well-known early music singers from Canada and the international scene, all under the direction of Alexander Weimann. Join us for the biggest – and most spectacular – Early Music Vancouver production ever mounted!
Early Music Vancouver’s Baroque Festival Players & Chorus will add lustre to this event. The ensemble this year is comprised of a 15-voice chorus, as well as a superb period-instrument orchestra, featuring strings, winds, lutes, trumpets and timpani.
Part of the BMO Main Stage Concerts series of MusicFest Vancouver.