Late Night Concert
Time & Date:
10.00pm, Sunday 25 May 2025
Venue:
Priory Church of St George, Church Street, Dunster, TA24 6SH
Who:
Elspeth Piggott | Soprano
Kristiina Watt | Theorbo
Tickets:
£15
£1 for 8-21s
Running Time:
1 hour
Programme Info:
Ferita d’amore – Wounded by love
A recital of music for voice and chitarrone presenting the passion-filled poetry and virtuosic performance practice of 17th century Italy. Spanning the depth and breadth of the period, from the birth of Italian monody with the ground breaking new style of Giulio Caccini all the way to the turn of the next century, we see the influence of this enchanting art form spread across the country from Florence to Venice to Rome and beyond. With works also by his daughter Francesca, as well as titans of the era, Monteverdi and Strozzi, we also hear lesser known music from Mazzochi and Rovetta, as well as solo instrumental works by Kapsberger, Piccinini and Castaldi.
TICKET RELEASE DATES:
Festival Friends tickets on sale from Sunday 23rd February
Festival Passes on sale from Sunday 2nd March
All other tickets on sale from Sunday 16th March
Artist Biographies
Elspeth Piggott (soprano)
Since her very first taste of the profession, understudying I Fagiolini’s immersive theatre production Betrayal in 2015, Elspeth has been captured by the dual art forms of music and drama, and has since pursued this pairing in her work, in both traditional opera as well as newly devised works. She has played Sophie in the staged Bach St Matthew/ Sophie Scholl Passion, from theatre maker/ director Ross McGregor with Deutscher Chor London, Southwark Cathedral 2022; Sirena in Francesca Caccini’s opera La Liberazione di Ruggiero, Brighton Early Music Festival (BREMF) 2021; Cupid in Marco da Gagliano’s Daphne, BREMF 2020; and understudying Charlie in Anna Appleby’s Drought with the BBC Philharmonic 2022. Most recently, she has appeared as Hermia in Purcell’s The Fairy Queen with Hampstead Garden Opera 2024, and as Second Woman to Mary Bevan’s Dido in Purcell’s Dido & Aeneas with Barokksolistene at Den Ny Opera Festival 2023.
As a sought after soloist specialising in early music, Elspeth has performed with some of the country’s top outfits including Handel Messiah, Manchester Camerata 2024; Mozart Great Mass in C Minor, University Choir at York Minster 2024; Carissimi Jepthe, I Fagiolini at St Martin-in-the-Fields 2024; Bach St John Passion, Cumbria Opera Group 2023; Bach Lutheran Mass in F, Brecon Baroque 2022; Bach Cantata BWV51, The Hampstead Collective 2020; MacMillan Seven Last Words from the Cross, The Britten Sinfonia, The Barbican 2016.
Passionate too about ensemble singing, Elspeth sings with I Fagiolini, Dunedin Consort, Gabrieli Consort, Musica Secreta, The Marian Consort and The Norwegian Soloist Choir, as well as her own ensemble The Lyons Mouth.
Kristiina Watt (theorbo)
Lutenist Kristiina Watt enjoys a busy concert schedule as an orchestral and chamber musician. She performs regularly with leading groups in the historical performance scene and beyond such as the Academy of Ancient Music, BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, BBC Singers, The English Concert, Scottish Chamber Orchestra and Scottish Ensemble. Kristiina particularly enjoys working with singers and regularly plays for consorts such as Ensemble Pro Victoria, The Marian Consort, Musica Secreta and Vache Baroque.
Kristiina also performs as a singer specialising in renaissance and baroque repertoire and particularly self-accompanied performance practice. In addition to formal training at the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland she has been fortunate to receive coachings from Dame Emma Kirkby at the Guildhall School and continues her vocal studies with Dr Patricia Macmahon.
Kristiina is an enthusiastic advocate for the creation of modern repertoire for old instruments and is currently fundraising with her ensemble The Portrait Players for a new commission for soprano, theorbo and viol by composer Clare Elton on the sonnets of 16th century poet Louise Labe.
Kristiina is a graduate of the Guildhall School of Music&Drama, Royal Conservatoire of Scotland and the University of Glasgow.