ULM’s School of Visual and Performing Arts presented the opera “Dido and Aeneas” from Oct. 24 through to the 26 at the Biedenharn Museum and Gardens.

“Emy-Lou Biedenharn… was a champion for music and culture in the city of Monroe,” opera director James Havard said. “Emy-Lou was actually a gifted opera singer herself, and I think she would have absolutely loved this unique production and the partnership that created it.”

The opera, created by Henry Purcell in 1688, is based on Book Four of Virgil’s Aeneid and centers around the title characters’ tragic love story. Purcell’s depictions of characters and emotions are displayed through specific musical means.

“One of the wonderful devices that Purcell uses is that of a ‘Greek chorus,’ an ancient tradition in which a group of narrators emphasize the emotions and subtext going on within the story,” Havard said. “This means that the chorus is more active than is standard for and opera, but it results in sweeping moments of beauty.”

Havard stated that even though “Dido and Aeneas” is the oldest known English opera, he believes viewers will “find that this tale of a doomed romance still resonates today.”

Auditions for future performances are open to all. For more information on future performances and auditions, visit https://ulm.edu/vapa/.