Opera Festival: Helena Collective: 6/VIII: The Six Wives of Henry VIII

Opera Festival: We transform the world’s best living room concert hall into an opera house for our first Opera Festival.

The Helena Collective is a group of women with incredible voices, which started its life at Timucua, and continues to bring us into their world with music composed and performed from the point of view of women.

Divorced, beheaded, died, divorced, beheaded, survived. Revel in the bliss and misery of marriage as the six ill-fated queens of the second Tudor king share their experiences of matrimony and acrimony in song, poetry, and spoken word. Featuring members of local vocal ensemble The Helena Collective as the queens, take a journey with each of Henry the VIII’s wives with music selections by Libby Larson, Hildegard von Bingen, Praetorius, and more.

The Helena Collective’s award-winning production, 6/VIII: The Six Wives of Henry VIII, originally produced by Opera Orlando for the 2019 Orlando Fringe Festival, will be remounted for Timucua’s inaugural Opera Festival. This original work is a powerful musical exploration of the stories of Henry VIII’s wives. Through a blend of classical and contemporary vocal works, the concert brings to life the diverse experiences of Catherine of Aragon, Anne Boleyn, Jane Seymour, Anne of Cleves, and Catherine Howard, portraying their strength, struggles, and resilience. With a stunning vocal repertoire for soloists and ensemble and a compelling narrative, 6/VIII is an evocative celebration of history’s most famous royal wives.

A strong, compelling performance in Timucua’s unparalleled acoustics.

Personnel:

- Sarah Purser
- Anna Eschbach
- Samantha Barnes Daniel
- Jillian Morrisini
- Lizzy Ariza
- Lynn Peghiny

In-person and livestream tickets available.

Discounted tickets are available for members, students, teachers, frontline workers, veterans, and seniors.

This performance is part of Timucua’s Opera Festival 2025.

Location: The White House

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