King Arthur, Spitalfields Music | reviews, news & interviews
King Arthur, Spitalfields Music
King Arthur, Spitalfields Music
Purcell's semi-opera is anything but half-hearted at the Spitalfields Festival
![](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/mast_image_landscape/public/mastimages/2be7e98d6dd601dd90fcd5a3c552aafc.jpg?itok=Zfju6jcf)
It’s not often that a performance of Purcell’s King Arthur requires its entire cast of singers to strip down to very tight Union Jack boxer shorts. It’s not often either that the audience find themselves actively encouraged to talk over the music, yet both were unexpectedly and riotously true last night at the Spitalfields Festival. Pairing Baroque big-hitters The English Concert and I Fagiolini, there was nothing half-hearted about this semi-staging of Purcell’s semi-opera. It promised much and delivered more, and while those listening live on Radio 3 might have enjoyed better textural balance, they can’t have had nearly as much fun as the sell-out crowd sweltering away in Shoreditch Church.
It’s not often that a performance of Purcell’s King Arthur requires its entire cast of singers to strip down to very tight Union Jack boxer shorts. It’s not often either that the audience find themselves actively encouraged to talk over the music, yet both were unexpectedly and riotously true last night at the Spitalfields Festival. Pairing Baroque big-hitters The English Concert and I Fagiolini, there was nothing half-hearted about this semi-staging of Purcell’s semi-opera. It promised much and delivered more, and while those listening live on Radio 3 might have enjoyed better textural balance, they can’t have had nearly as much fun as the sell-out crowd sweltering away in Shoreditch Church.
The future of Arts Journalism
You can stop theartsdesk.com closing!
We urgently need financing to survive. Our fundraising drive has thus far raised £33,000 but we need to reach £100,000 or we will be forced to close. Please contribute here: https://gofund.me/c3f6033d
And if you can forward this information to anyone who might assist, we’d be grateful.
Subscribe to theartsdesk.com
Thank you for continuing to read our work on theartsdesk.com. For unlimited access to every article in its entirety, including our archive of more than 15,000 pieces, we're asking for £5 per month or £40 per year. We feel it's a very good deal, and hope you do too.
To take a subscription now simply click here.
And if you're looking for that extra gift for a friend or family member, why not treat them to a theartsdesk.com gift subscription?
more Opera
![](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Screenshot%202024-10-30%20at%2017-39-09%20theartsdesk.com%20%28%40the_arts_desk%29%20%E2%80%A2%20Instagram%20photos%20and%20videos.png?itok=W02US5i5)
![Dysfunctional family: Count Almaviva's household loses its grip on sanity in Joe Hill-Gibbins' production](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/rsz_the_cast_of_eno%E2%80%99s_the_marriage_of_figaro_2025_%C2%A9_zoe_martin_1.jpg?itok=48dgt3uM)
![Fleeing One and Bureaucrat: Robert Hayward as The Dutchman and Clive Bayley as Daland in Opera North’s production of The Flying Dutchman](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/The%20Flying%20Dutchman%2005%20%281200x800%29.jpg?itok=lWqtLNgb)
![Illusion - Themba Mvula as the Con Man/Interlocutor, with company in Opera North's production of 'Love Life'](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/Love%20Life%2014%20%281200x800%29.jpg?itok=0X1bTCI9)
![Jenůfa (Corinne Winters) and her stepmother the Kostelnička (Karita Mattila) in the second act](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/webimage-6827C556-C3CE-4593-830A7F92FC1D4C1E.png?itok=tTQeX2Sr)
![Mamma means mayhem: Paolo Bordogna dominates as stage mother Agata in Donizetti's 'Le convenienze ed inconvenience teatrali'](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/BLZNRLUACJBTHNK5ZRXKTETKWA.jpg?itok=YW2WmAlW)
![Pappano conducted the first of two performances this week with the LSO and a large international cast](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/rsz_1lso_pappano_barbican_101224_1483.jpg?itok=dtmQKZKy)
![Teamwork to the fore in a multi-credit operatic comedy](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/RNCM_Opera_Cast2_Hi_Res_%C2%A9Robin_Clewley-2998%20%281200x800%29_0.jpg?itok=oxQuz2_E)
![Queen Victoria's good name saves all at the end of 'The Pirates of Penzance'](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/3t48PmUg.jpeg?itok=_2gzjqnw)
![Soraya Mafi as Gilda and Michael Chioldi as Rigoletto](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/U6cAZjOA.jpg?itok=Vc1geg1t)
![Drowned out at times, but stylish: Thomas Atkins as Nemorino and Rhian Lois as Adina](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/2i9AbPQA.jpeg?itok=rtE7Y3Qc)
![Tanja Bage and Lucy Crowe blur and meld in Luke Halls' video design](https://theartsdesk.com/sites/default/files/styles/thumbnail/public/mastimages/rsz_tanja_bage_and_lucy_crowe_in_the_sound_voice_project_%C2%A9_2024_roh_photograph_by_tristram_kenton_845.jpg?itok=ceoAKRXR)
Add comment