Is anyone listening to Dido and Aeneas on Radio 3 at the moment?

[IorekByrnison]

?

Am now thanks!

Ooh no. Will retune.

Do you have any listings? Do you know who it is? There is some quite bad singing going on but the band are good...

Purcell: Dido and Aeneas, opera in three acts
Emma Kirkby, Yvonne Seymour (soprano)
Robin Blaze (countertenor)
Jason Darnell (tenor)
Stephen Varcoe (bass)
Yorkshire Bach Chorus
Yorkshire Baroque Soloists
Peter Seymour (conductor)

Emma, fine, Stephen fine, not so sure about the rest of it as you say Iorek

Ah! Thanks marina. It all fits into place. I agree about Stephen Varcoe. I think Emma's a bit variable - sometimes wonderful, sometimes not so much.

Peter and Yvonne Seymour both used to teach me years ago!

Really? I am ashamed to say I've not heard of them Iorek
I am a big fan of Emma, but yes, this is not the best she has done as Dido. We have an old Oiseau-Lyre recording which is delightful

...this last aria...

Oh me too, now

No need to blush - I don't think they are well known outside a rather narrow Early Music circle. They both teach/taught at York University.

oh bother, missed it

oh this is sooo beautiful
bit of an over-reaction on her part, though, isn't it

There's still "With drooping wings" to go. That's my favourite bit in the whole opera. And this chorus is good.

OOH

It is a bit of an over-reaction. If only she'd had Mumsnet. "DP has just left me for a load of sailors...AIBU????"

I once sang second witch
or possibly thir witch I forget
anyway I like to sing along with that bit because it took me weeks to learn it and I was terrified of performing it

Aah.

AIBU to set fire to my home town and stand on the roof yelling about this?

have never sung in it harpsi but have learned When I am laid in earth as a solo piece and always, always not done it to my liking

Marina, that is interesting. I know where you mean. I did a masterclass with EK once (but not there).

Just heard that Helen Neeves was in it. She's a lovely singer. Was 2nd woman to her Dido at Uni... our careers diverged somewhat.

Right that's enough obscure namedropping for one afternoon. But I am curious to know what you do Marina!

How nice!

You're an alto aren't you, jura (I'm guessing from the Tallis thread). You always have the hardest part.

I played Aeneas at school back in the 70s. I was offered either that part or the sailor, and chose Aeneas. The girl who played the sailor died in a car crash a year or two later, aged under 20. i would have preferred to play Dido of course and i don't know what happened to the girl who did.