A truly celebratory opening to our 2026 Festival, this performance brings I Fagiolini’s intimate yet powerful one-to-a-part interpretation of Monteverdi’s defining masterpiece of sacred music to the stage. Accompanied by wind, strings, and brass, the ensemble combines peerless technical precision with dynamic improvisation to create a performance that is both richly coloured and deeply moving. The result is a vivid, emotionally charged interpretation that feels strikingly fresh and relevant, a fitting 21st-century vision from one of Britain’s most celebrated vocal groups as it approaches its 40th anniversary.