Early Opera Company / Léirmheasanna

Musically, though, the performance, under conductor Christian Curnyn, was practically perfect in every way, and Anna Dennis, Samuel Boden, Jorge Navarro Colorado, Edward Grint and David de Winter all sang with great distinction.

Anna Dennis was a sincere lyrical Galatea, Samuel Boden a fervent Acis, Edward Grint a suitably raging Polyphemus, Jorge Navarro Colorado combining the roles of Damon and Coridon with a lovely warm timbre, and David de Winter blending in beautifully as Chorus. The complementing of voices for the roles was lovely; Acis and Galatea genuinely sounded like a heavenly match together, contrasting with darkness of Polyphemus, the ensemble of five voices just gorgeous.

Josef Jeongmeen Ahn impressed immensely as Segeste, the turncoat German who is supporting the Romans. Segeste is one of Handel's more complex baritone parts and Ahn brought the character to life, as well as giving us some fine Handel singing.

As the blustering sell-out Segeste, Josef Jeongmeen Ahn, with his robust but nuanced baritone, veers effectively between spluttering fury and self-analytic guilt as Handel matches his jittery, anguished spirit with music that captures a splintering soul.