Join Christ Church Community Chorus, soloists, and orchestra for Henry Purcell’s colourful and characterful opera Dido and Aeneas at 20:00 on Sunday 13 April.
Come and hear the tale of a doomed love affair set in ancient Carthage, featuring a cast of witches, sailors, heros, and heroines.
This is a free, un-ticketed event but be sure to arrive early to secure a good seat!
Our Dido and Aeneas: Eilís Dexter (Dido) and Michael McCartan (Aeneas) are no strangers to Christ Church, having both sung in the Cathedral Choir for a number of years. Eilís is currently pursuing a Master’s at Zürcher Hochschule der Künste in Zurich and has recently made her solo operatic debut in Ireland and Croatia. Michael is a regular member of ensembles including Vocare, Lassus, Utopia and Reality, and Ardú, and has a busy solo schedule in Dublin and across Ireland. Dido and Aeneas are star-crossed lovers whose union promises to restore the fortunes of ruined Troy; barring divine intervention, what could possibly go wrong?
Puppet-master and enchanter supreme, The Sorceress is the villain of Dido and Aeneas. Aided by her coven of witches, she hatches a plot to split up the titular lovers and ruin their empires. She is played in this performance by Sarah Thursfield, a contralto from Dublin. Sarah has a busy solo career and is also a member of Chamber Choir Ireland, Sestina Music, and Resurgam.
Belinda, on the other hand, is Dido’s loyal handmaiden and confidant. She is always on hand for advice and support, but is she really as trustworthy as she seems? This role will be taken in our performance by Anglo-Venezuelan soprano Sofia Kirwan-Baez. Sofia was a National Opera Studio Young Artist in 2023/24 and her future engagements include Susanna in The Marriage of Figaro with Cumbria Opera Group and Papagena in Die Zauberflöte with Opéra National de Bordeaux.
Images left to right: Eilís Dexter, Michael McCartan, Sarah Thursfield and Sofia Kirwan-Baez.
