The legend of Perseus, daring slayer of the Gorgon Medusa, and Andromeda, who was chained to a rock as prey for a sea monster but rescued by Perseus, held a particular fascination for the Victorians. Charles Kingsley, best known as the author of ‘The Water Babies’. adapted the Andromeda legend into a poem in the ‘Homeric’ style and published it in 1858. Set to music in 1905 by Cyril Bradley Rootham (1875-1938), the cantata was performed in Bristol in 1908 and then effectively 'lost' for over 100 years.
Cantata Dramatica was asked to revive it for the Charles Kinglsey 200 Festival celebrating the 200th anniversary of Kingsley’s birth. This production features an exciting new orchestration by Dan Keen, commissioned specifically to accommodate the needs of an open-air performance on The Mount opposite Charles Kingsley's home, and will include thrilling giant puppetry, aerial artists and a dance troupe. A spectacular for the entire family.
