Fairy Queen Recital Workshop

In preparation for our June 16th recital performance of several scenes and arias from Henry Purcell's The Fairy Queen, we are having a workshop on Saturday June 3rd at 4pm. As you may already know, The Fairy Queen is a semi-opera written as an adaptation of William Shakespeare's wedding comedy A Midsummer Night's Dream. It was also composed as a court masque or restoration spectacular for royalty, an elaborately staged machine play replete with action, music, dance, moveable scenery, baroque illusionistic painting, gorgeous costumes, and special effects such as trapdoor tricks, "flying" actors, and fireworks. Now some 400 years after Shakespeare's death in 1616, The Fairy Queen was composed in 1692, three years before Purcell's death at the age of 35. Following Purcell's death, the score was lost and only rediscovered early in the twentieth century, where it has enjoyed a revival. You are welcome to find or craft your own fairy costumes according to the roles you will be singing. Value Village is always a good start!