Britten Sinfonia - Ancient Greek Meze

Britten Sinfonia are playing The Halls at Creative Quarter Over the Water on Tuesday 20 October, with mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston and classicist Natalie Haynes. The evening is built around three centuries of music inspired by ancient Greek mythology, with the pieces interspersed with commentary from Haynes, who is a classicist, author, broadcaster and self-described 'reformed comedian'.

Charlston takes the lead on the singing. She performs Benjamin Britten's late micro-opera Phaedra, which is being staged fifty years after its premiere, alongside Charpentier's opera about Medea and Haydn's Ariadne. The programme also brings in male voices, with works by Stravinsky and John Woolrich. Between the pieces, Haynes provides the context, so the music doesn't just sit on its own—you'll hear the stories behind the names.

It's a wide-ranging set, pulling from the Baroque, the Classical, and the twentieth century, all tied together by those same Greek myths. Having the commentary woven in rather than as a separate introduction means the whole thing runs as one evening rather than a series of disconnected songs.

The concert runs from 7:00pm to 10:00pm at The Halls, in the Creative Quarter Over the Water here in Norwich. It's a three-hour window, so there's plenty of room for the music and the talking to breathe.