Performer: Academy of Ancient Music

The greatest music of the 18th century – no arguments, please – is given a fine reading at London's Barbican. 

Laurence Cummings and the AAM serve up Messiah-shaped serenity at the Barbican. 

Ovid’s Metamorphoses makes an ideal curtain-raiser to the Academy of Ancient Music's new season, with works by Charpentier and Rameau conducted by Laurence Cummings... who also sings! 

The Barbican’s foyer, lakeside and conservatory will all see improved accessibility and sustainability through the £240m scheme.

Performances by English Touring Opera and the London Philharmonic Orchestra are the highlights of an autumn season at Saffron Hall with a distinctly theatrical vibe – alongside major Baroque and chamber offerings.

Both as a generic term and as a mode of performance, Early music has a convoluted history. We explore how Early music turned from a forgotten repertoire to a living practice.