Baroque England was a nation turned inside out: a fledgling democracy that could also be profoundly unjust, a culture convinced of its own uniqueness but which welcomed genius from all lands. Tonight, Academy of Ancient Music explores an era that’s never felt more current.

So, the music of the London-born Purcell sits alongside masterpieces by Handel – a German who became English by choice – and Ignatius Sancho, who was born into slavery but found freedom and musical success in Georgian England. Curated by American countertenor Reginald Mobley, Sons of England weaves music and words to explore alternative histories of the English baroque, culminating in a Sancho-inspired new commission by composer Roderick Williams: musical history shaping a shared future.

We would like to thank the Arts and Humanities Research Council and Continuo Foundation for their support of this performance.