Pioneering period-instrument ensemble Spiritato and mezzo-soprano Ciara Hendrick transport audiences back to a decisive juncture in the history of English music, in this entertaining and virtuosic programme. With the tragically early death of Henry Purcell in 1695, composers rushed to capture the spirit of the new Century. The Tastes of this Nation is a vibrant picture of the changing fashions and astonishing success of Italian styles, genres and indeed musicians at the dawn of the 1700s.