A week after the show, and we're still collecting all the pics and videos made by our two 'togs (Sam Paul at the performances and Jasmin Cameron at the dress rehearsal), as well as various of our enthusiastic audience members! Not least thanks to a rigorous testing regime, we made it to the performances with only a few missing due to Covid: two singers, a continuo player, and, alas, our violin coach. Students, coaches, riders, driver, horses, and crews put tremendous energy into making our two near-capacity performances so successful! Further material will follow, but here are just a few of Jasmin's photos from Saturday's dress rehearsals, so you can see what we got up to:
Part of the continuo team: chamber organ at the back, theorbo, and lirone:
Sackbuts (early trombones), cornetto, and baroque violins make up the band:
One of the Neptunes opens the Prologue:
The North Sea (originally the River Vistola) tells Neptune that trombones don't work underwater:
Alcina practises being carried in by Billy the Sea Dragon:
Alcina and Ruggiero speak loving words to each other:
The other cast's Alcina and Ruggiero also exchange sweet glances:
An Aberdeenshire Shepherd shows up, complete with sheep (borrowed from Norvite Farm & Country):
A Siren then swims along to further entrance Ruggiero:
Ruggiero falls asleep, rather convincingly:
Melissa, the good sorceress, disguised as Ruggiero's old teacher, Atlante (complete with beard), lectures him to get him to leave Alcina's spell:
One of the sad Enchanted Plants, singing to Melissa and Ruggiero:
A lady of the court has seen Melissa and Ruggiero leave, and hastens to tell Alcina:
The two sorceresses face off in a magical duel:
The knights, freed from their enchantment as sea monsters, appear in the door, ready to start their ballet:
Five grey horses trot down the centre line of Ardmedden Equestrian Centre's indoor arena:
Three Icelandic horses, carrying the Golden Knights, make their tight turns:
The Musical Director conducts, and Artistic Director (à la Blue Knight) gives some notes on stage movement:
