Longborough Festival Opera has announced the cast for Spell Book and La liberazione di Ruggiero, its 2022 emerging artist double bill.
The Costwolds company’s Emerging Artist programme gives a vital opportunity to singers at the beginning of their careers. In 2022 audiences are treated to a double bill of love, freedom and magic.
Members of the Emerging Artists ensemble offer the first complete staging of Freya Waley-Cohen’s Spell Book, a dramatic song cycle inspired by the composer’s encounter with Rebecca Tamás’ collection of poems, WITCH.
Artistic director Polly Graham said, “The women of Freya’s songs create spells that celebrate hard won freedoms, as well as spells that lay out the divisions and injustices yet to be overcome. A perfect project for a new generation of performers.”
Following this is a performance of Francesca Caccini’s La liberazione di Ruggiero dall’isola d’Alcina, the earliest surviving opera written by a female composer. With a story from Ariosto’s Orlando Furioso, La liberazione di Ruggiero will be performed in a new arrangement by conductor Yshani Perinpanayagam, featuring CHROMA Ensemble and directed by Jenny Ogilvie.
CREATIVE TEAM
Conductor / Arranger, Yshani Perinpanayagam
Director, Jenny Ogilvie
Designer, April Dalton
Lighting Designer, Jake Wiltshire
Assistant Conductor / Repetiteur, Clíodna Shanahan
Language Coach, Alessandro Fasolo
Surtitles, Kenneth Chalmers
With CHROMA Ensemble
SPELL BOOK
SPELL FOR LILITH, sung by Sarah Richmond
SPELL FOR SEX, sung by Flora Macdonald
SPELL FOR WOMEN’S BOOKS, sung by Nia Coleman
SPELL FOR LOGIC, sung by Flora Macdonald
SPELL FOR JOY, sung by Keith Pun
SPELL FOR REALITY, sung by Jessica Robinson
LA LIBERAZIONE DI RUGGIERO DALL’ISOLA D’ALCINA
Alcina, Lauren Joyanne Morris
Bradamante / Melissa, Simone Ibbett-Brown
Ruggiero, Oskar McCarthy
Neptune, Joe Chalmers
River, Ruairi Bowen
First Lady, Nia Coleman
Second Lady, Flora Macdonald
Third Lady, Sarah Richmond
Shepherd, Xavier Hetherington
Siren, Jessica Robinson
