Endless Pleasure (Handel, Semele) – Daisy Livesey & Cherubim Chamber Choir & Orchestra

Handel Weekend in Wardour Chapel, Wiltshire given in 2023 by Cherubim Chamber Choir & Orchestra, conductor Harry Bradford. SEMELE Soprano Daisy Livesey Endless pleasure, endless love, Semele enjoys above! On her bosom Jove reclining, Useless now his thunder lies; To her arms his bolts resigning, And his lightning to her eyes. Based on a libretto by Congreve originally set by John Eccles, Semele (HWV 58) is an opera in all but name; but could not be staged when it was presented during lent in 1744 as opera was not permitted for religious reasons. However the performance in lent of a profane work presented as an oratorio confused the public and led to a mixed reaction. Cherubim Music Trust is a charity that loans professional-calibre orchestral instruments to advanced music students in the UK, aged 15-25, who cannot afford one that matches their ability. See http://cherubimtrust.org/