Fairest Isle

Recorded November 19, 2016 at Cathedral St. Paul, Boston, MA
Sarah Yanovitch, Venus
Ian Watson, conducting
Arcadia Players; Henry Purcell Society of Boston
We here in Boston believe that the HPSOB brings something unique to our musical world, and we need your help to continue to produce these Baroque era concerts that are delighting you here on our channel. If you like what you see, please visit our website to learn more about supporting our mission of bringing entertaining realizations of the plays for which much of this music was written, as well as the sacred and secular works of Henry Purcell. Visit us here: www.bostonpurcell.org/support-us
We are a new group, and need your help to grow and continue to spread the religion of great Baroque music!!
Thank you- Jessica Cooper, Artistic Director
To learn more about our work, or to support our mission of promoting the works of Henry Purcell, please visit our website at: www.BostonPurcell.org

[@bostonpurcellsociety4278]

We love us some Sarah Yanovitch!!

[@simondegroot2240]

She is totally gorgeous in every way....perfection...what more to say! :-)

[@peteacher52]

I thought at first that the king was Henry Purcell present at the performance of his work - that would have been a coup! Sarah, you're a stunner with a ditto voice so you will be a fine successor to Emma Kirkby.

[@peterforster9647]

This tune works well with the hymn Love divine, all loves excelling

[@alfiecat9288]

I am from near the original Boston and my heart swells that our Bostonian cousins in the New World love the architect of high, English culture as much as l do. Well done, an excellent performance!

[@sapper82]

What a beautiful young lady, what a glorious voice and what a perfect accompaniment from the chitarrone!

[@user-tw8is9it2u]

This is my orchestra song

[@simonroe-ko8yx]

this is my favourite aria. purcell died so young but he left a wonderful legacy for us

[@ianpomerantz8129]

I was in the audience. It was one of those rare magical moments.

[@arsaugusta]

this girl has so much charisma and talent! thanks!

[@robertlord1582]

My favorite Purcell aria sung so beautifully. I love what I've seen and heard of the whole production. I would certainly buy a DVD if it became available.

[@sopranoarwen]

Lovely, Sarah! ❤️

[@ursulabean3179]

Love it!!! All dressed up/ what fun!!!

[@norikoi4003]

so beautiful

[@therecitalist]

Stunning, Sarah!

[@carleydefranco]

This is so incredibly beautiful!

[@vincentedwards6749]

BEAUTIFUL GREAT POST WONDERFUL PRODUCTION. j Vincent Edwards

[@jimsharpe8032]

Greetings from The Fairest Isle - this was great, thanks!

[@TheYopogo]

Fyi, the "fairest isle" which the song refers to is Cyprus.

[@jimsharpe8032]

@@TheYopogo Fascinating. 'Fairest Isle' is sung in Act V of 'King Arthur', a 'semi opera' by Henry Purcell and John Dryden, first performed in 1691. Act V sums the work up in a celebration of Britishness (as conceived in the late seventeenth century), 'Fairest Isle' is preceded by songs celebrating Britain expressing sentiments like 'Retire and let Britannia rise/in triumph o'er the main', 'The shepherd's and the farmer's gains/Fair Britain all the world outlives' 'Tho' Jason's fleece was famed of old/The British wool is growing gold', and is immediately preceded by a drinking song whose chorus runs 'And high for the honour of gold England, Old England/Old England/ and high for the honour of old England'. Having a song celebrating Cyprus at this point would seem a little odd. A possible source of confusion is that Venus (aka Aphrodite), a goddess with close associations with Cyprus in classical mythology, sings tat she will 'forsake her Cyprian Grove', to 'choose her dwelling' in the Fairest Isle, which suggests that the Fairest Isle isn't Cyprus.. So what's your evidence for saying that the 'fairest isle' is Cyprus?

[@TheYopogo]

@@jimsharpe8032 Well maybe it's me who misunderstood then. But in any case, the point of the song is to draw a parallel between the two islands.

[@paulwusteman1094]

@@TheYopogo It plainly is not. Just read the words. Venus 'forsakes her Cyprian Grove' for Great Britain where she 'chooses her dwelling'. (An excellent choice in my opinion!)

[@TheYopogo]

@@paulwusteman1094 Hence why I *already* admitted that it was me who misunderstood.

[@ykalantzis]

Very good Soprano. I also liked the Theorbe support...

[@anibalconcha6612]

Que hermosa interpretación de esta bella pieza de Henry Purcell

[@oliverrosteck6845]

Wonderful, extremely charming!

[@Klonering]

I like all these Videos of King Arthur very much. Superb performance. Is there a possibility to see/get the whole piece?

[@jkcdiva]

Hello- So, we have not yet edited the whole piece, and there is no plan to do so in the immediate future. I may post more outtakes, and a full version is likely to become available in the future. Please join our mailing list on the website: www.BostonPurcell.org, so you can get our announcements should the DVD become available. Thank you for your interest!

[@Klonering]

Thank you kindly for your answer. I will look into that.

[@bostonpurcellsociety4278]

The time is coming- we will release our entire performance on June 30, 2020. Check back with us! kzbin.info/www/bejne/Y2e0oniJmNN1hac

[@Klonering]

@@bostonpurcellsociety4278 What wonderful news. I am looking forwards to that. i'll mark the date. Thank you very much.

[@marquisevirginie]

Wonderful , Gracious

[@ternitamas]

I've heard both versions with a natural G and a sharp G, I prefer this one. Does anybody know why there are two versions? The same goes with greensleeves. I suppose it has to do with the scale used. It gives it a modal flavor

[@bostonpurcellsociety4278]

This performance was on historical instruments, and therefore a half step down. Makes a nice difference, eh?!

[@mademoisellex7058]

I suppose some play on the baroque pitch (415 i believe?) unlike the standard 440hz, which causes this difference.

[@paulwusteman1094]

Wonderful performance. What were William III and Mary II doing there (or was it James II and his queen Mary of Modena ?)

[@mavisemberson8737]

William of Orange and Mary II became King and Queen after the Glorious Revolution when James Stuart stepped down. 1688 The performance represents 1691.

[@puffer-wq5wj]

1:01

[@sjnepomuk]

Do the man and woman seated in the back represent William and Mary?

[@ianwatson4974]

Well spotted!

[@sigertjohansen]

vidunderlig

[@1earflapping]

Her lips are the lips of Venus...

[@Digeroo123]

Lovely voice. But for this song. the voice it is all wrong. Vibrato came later. It would have been a castrati so a much purer singing style.