New collective brings back lost art of Baroque gesture

The Liberata Collective will tour its debut production of Handel's Orland to Buxton International Festival and Lichfield Festival in July.  Directed by historical music expert Adrian Butterfield and performed in collaboration with early music group Ensemble Hesperi, the group aim to promote the style of performance used by Handel’s own 18^th century performers - Baroque Gesture.

In it’s first year, the newly founded group has sold out two Buxton festival performances, selling over 950 tickets, and developed plans for a 2024 Welsh tour in partnership with Arts and Business Cymru. The collective also offers work opportunities for emerging talent whose careers have been disrupted by the pandemic.

Co-founders and co-directors Susanna MacRae (above left) and Olivia Doutney (above right) said: ‘We have both benefited enormously from participating in projects that contained elements of Baroque Gesture and historical movement, and saw how these methods made the true spirit of the music come across. We concluded that when a modern style of acting is applied to the music of baroque composers, it can feel like an intangible element is missing. Baroque Gesture brings a unique focus and intensity to performances, keeping performers and audiences alike engaged.’

Sopranos themselves, MacRae and Doutney will take on the respective roles of Dorinda and Angelica this summer, joined onstage by tenor Christian Joel, mezzo soprano Joanna Harries and baritone Jolyon Loy under the direction of historical performance expert and London Handel Festival associate music director Adrian Butterfield. The collective use the historical acting method of Baroque Gesture to offer audiences an experience approaching that of audiences in 18th-century London.

The Liberata Collective will perform at Buxton International Festival on 10, 14 and 21 July as well as at Lichfield Festival on 11 July.