“If there are Charms in Musick in general, all the reasonable World agrees, that the Vocal has the Pre-eminence, both from Nature and Art above the Instrumental.” JE Galliard (1743)

Ancient Greek theatre inspired a gathering of musicians, poets and intellectuals in Florence in the late 16th century to create the dramatic new musical form of Opera, incorporating music, poetry, theatre and visual arts. It was both a culmination of composition for voice over centuries and a starting point for what evolved during the baroque period and beyond of exceptional compositions showcasing the magnificence of the voice, affirming Aristotle’s (c350 BC) belief in the voice being an instrument with a soul.