The plot of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream has been the basis of many musical works, from ballets, tone poems to operas and both Mendelsohn and Britten set the play to music. In August 2012 a new production was offered at the Sferisterio Macerata Opera Festival in Italy and this lecture explores both how a combination of music and text can deliver a story and bring fresh insight to a familiar plot – potentially widening the audience for opera. Supporting examples will be drawn from interviews with the director, technical manager and musicians of this production.

Dr Helen Julia Minors is the Director of Studies for Music at Kingston University. Chair of the Kingston Choral Society and Vice Chair of the National Association of Music in Higher Education, she is a keen supporter of music at the university and in the community.

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