ENGLAND spent most of the 18th century fumbling around trying to find a way into opera. But with royal patronage from Charles II and his brother James, plays with music – called semi-operas in Purcell’s time – began to emerge, and The Tempest, “a dramatick opera”, was hastily assembled by a keen group of composers in 1674.

Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, here not so much an orchestra as a string quartet with theorbo, revived it here with five singers and three actors, all playing multiple roles. In a prologue and five acts, it was as good fun as any pastiche could be, given contributions by six different composers, spearheaded by the estimable Matthew Locke.

The brains behind it was lutenist Elizabeth Kenny (here on theorbo), using a libretto devised by Caroline Williams from the original play of 1667 by William Davenant and John Dryden. Her close-knit band was particularly alive – brilliantly in the case of violinist Alison Bury – to the vital rhythms of this score.

Two trebles, Daniel Blaze and Oscar Ross, made a lively contribution to the masque of devils, underpinned by Josep-Ramon Olivé’s firm bass in Italianate music by Pelham Humfrey. Augusta Hebbert’s soprano was especially telling in a plaintive Adieu by James Hart, and tenor Samuel Boden brought a nice edge to a Pietro Reggio aria. Nicole Bartlett and Dickon Tyrrell proved agile chameleons in the spoken roles. More early opera, please!

Martin Dreyer