Pioneering orchestra thrills baroque lovers

One of the world's great orchestras helped make last night a highlight of the Beijing Music Festival (BMF) with the promise of more to come.

The Academy of Ancient Music (AAM) performed Handel's oratorio Messiah at the Wangfujing Catholic Church that was remarkable for its refinement and attention to detail, showing just how much its members are in tune with conductor and harpsichordist Richard Egarr.

Tonight, AAM and Egarr will be back, performing the English composer Henry Purcell's opera Dido and Aeneas at the Beijing Concert Hall, featuring the celebrated Dutch mezzo-soprano Wilke te Brummelstroete as Dido and baritone Maarten Koningsberger as Aeneas.