Artists: Lea Desandre (mezzo-soprano), Thomas Dunford (director, lute), Jupiter Ensemble
Venue: Wigmore Hall
Date: 24 June 2026, 7.30pm (London time)
Streaming: Free via YouTube
Duration: Approx. 90 minutes (without interval)
Programme
- Handel: Theodora HWV68 – “With Darkness Deep”
- Handel: Occasional Oratorio HWV62 – “Fly from the threat’ning vengeance, fly!”
- Handel: Dances from Terpsicore – Prelude, Chaconne, Sarabande, Gigue
- Handel: Theodora HWV68 – “As with rosy steps the morn”
- Handel: Joseph and his Brethren HWV59 – “Prophetic raptures swell my breast”
- Handel: Suite from Theodora
- Handel: Solomon HWV67 – “Will the sun forget to streak”
- Handel: Suite in D minor HWV437 – Sarabande
- Handel: The Triumph of Time and Truth HWV71 – “Guardian angels, oh, protect me”
- Handel: Semele HWV58 – “No, no, I’ll take no less”
French mezzo-soprano Lea Desandre joins lutenist and conductor Thomas Dunford and his Jupiter Ensemble for an evening devoted to George Frideric Handel, streamed live from Wigmore Hall.
The programme explores the breadth of Handel’s dramatic imagination through a selection of arias and instrumental works drawn from some of his most celebrated oratorios. Among the highlights are the haunting “With Darkness Deep” from Theodora, the serene “As with rosy steps the morn”, the radiant “Guardian angels, oh, protect me” from The Triumph of Time and Truth, and the dazzling virtuosity of Semele’s “No, no, I’ll take no less”. Instrumental interludes include dances from Terpsicore, a suite from Theodora, and the famous Sarabande from the Suite in D minor.
Desandre and Dunford have built one of the most admired artistic partnerships in the Baroque world, combining historically informed performance with a vivid sense of theatricality. Their appearance at Wigmore Hall places the spotlight on Handel’s gift for expressing both profound introspection and brilliant vocal display, from the despair of Theodora to the exuberant confidence of Semele.
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