BREMF – THE FAIRY QUEEN – London Handel Players, BREMF Emerging Artists

The Fairy Queen is a certain success and with such an excellent company of players, singers and dancers it could only be a triumph. The opening fanfares – a delight, and the show continued as it had begun. Let’s start with the band, London Handel Players, set on a stage at the back. They were stylishly led by Adrian Butterfield on his violin, and they certainly knew their stuff, having already toured this work in Croatia and Ireland. The accompaniment was flexible, attentive and perfectly balanced. The two recorders were quite enchanting as birds and Butterfield too had a special moment, among many others, duetting with mezzo Mercè Bruguera Abelló in The Plaint. As to be expected, this was the emotional high point of the opera, overflowing with pathos and a subtle delicacy. Another London Handel Players Young Artist, the bass Fionn Ó hAlmhain, blustered splendidly as the drunken poet and was then magisterial in his other rôles. His colleague, tenor Benedict Munden, gave a tender poignancy to his autumnal aria with some very gentle ornamentation.

This was very much the style of all the soloists. The rich, clear voice of BREMF Emerging Artist, the lead soprano Ruby Skilbeck, filled St George’s effortlessly. Hugo Williamson and Allyn Wu, fine Baroque voices both, were equally at home as the clumsy clowns Corydon & Mopsa, who can be embarrassingly coy – not these two with their faultless comic timing and obvious enjoyment. Credit again to the band for keeping up with them. With a vocal swagger, resonant contralto Laura Toomey confidently took the parts now often sung by countertenors and soprano Emma Warner, although stricken with a cold, still sang most beautifully. Indeed, all the singing was superb, as we have come to expect, and the interludes between were filled with a charming selection of dances, mimes and rustic promenades. Again, these could have been trite but they were so varied, so well considered and clearly fun.

The BREMF Emerging Artists scheme not only gives a platform to these exceptional young talents but also provides mentoring, practical advice and golden connections in the expanding world of Early Music. I’m looking forward to hearing a lot more from these new members of the BREMF brigade.

Andrew Connal
St George’s Church
9 October 2026

Rating:

London Handel Players:
Adrian Butterfield – violin, director,
Oliver Webber – violin I, Nicola Cleary – violin II,
Rachel Byrt – viola, Gavin Kibble – cello
Rachel Brown – recorder I, Olwen Foulkes – recorder II, Joel Raymond – oboe
Neil Brough – trumpet I, Peter Mankarious – trumpet II
Ben Hoffnung – percussion, Silas Wollston – harpsichord

Mary Collins – stage director, choreographer
Steven Player, Kath Waters, Anne Deller,
Aya Robertson, Fernando Santiago Serrano dos Santos dancers
Richard Moat – Oberon, Catherine Denley – Titania

BREMF Emerging Artists:
Ruby Skilbeck – soprano, Emma Warner – soprano
Laura Toomey – contralto, Hugo Williamson – tenor,
Allyn Wu – baritone (2025 alumnus)

LHP Young Artists:
Mercè Bruguera Abelló – mezzo-soprano,
Benedict Munden – tenor, Fionn Ó hAlmhain – bass

Programme:
Henry Purcell – The Fairy Queen