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See Terms & Conditions for p&p rates. | |  | Handel: Coronation Anthems & Dixit Dominus
“A new coupling which brings together some of Handel's finest and best loved sacred music in performances which hae remained unsurpassed since their recordings in the 1980s.” BBC Music Magazine, April 2013 ***** | 
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| |  | A Handel CelebrationThe Sixteen’s sell-out Proms concert
Harry Christophers and The Sixteen have long been celebrated for their interpretations of Handel’s great masterpieces. In this BBC Prom from the Royal Albert Hall they capture some of the composer’s most ebullient moments in concert performance, from the ever popular Arrival of the Queen of Sheba to the ubiquitous sounds of Zadok the Priest. All Four Coronation Anthems feature on this DVD as well as virtuosic excerpts from the oratorio Semele sung by Carolyn Sampson, and the Organ Concerto in F major performed by Alastair Ross in its original version which finishes with a rousing ‘Alleluia’ chorus. Bonus features include two works not shown in the BBC Two broadcast - Coronation Anthem My heart is inditing and Salve Regina. Bonus Features include: Exclusive Interview with Harry Christophers. Bonus Tracks: Coronation Anthem My heart is inditing Salve Regina (Carolyn Sampson soprano) Artist Biographies and Images “Harry Christophers's crack team pulls out all the stops...if the pomp and regal circumstance undoubtedly impress, Christophers's tender shaping of the sighing phrase, his expressive dynamic palate, combined with an ear for orcehstral detail, impress even more.” BBC Music Magazine, September 2010 **** | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Handel - Coronation Anthems
Harry Christophers and The Sixteen add a brand new recording of Handel’s Coronation Anthems to their stunning catalogue of Handel discs. In one of his last undertakings before his death in 1727, King George I signed an ‘Act for the naturalising of George Frideric Handel’ amongst others. One of Handel’s first tasks as a naturalised British Citizen was to write the music for the Coronation of the new monarch - King George II which was to take place later that year. Rarely did a composer of the day have such an audience for his new works and Handel’s four Anthems were written to match the pomp and grandeur of the occasion and, of course, the venue – Westminster Abbey. The Coronation Anthems have delighted audiences ever since and appear in all their glory on this recording interspersed with a selection of Handel favourites including Arrival of the Queen of Sheba, Handel’s Organ Concerto in F Major Op. 4 No. 4 and two extracts from Messiah. “Harry Christophers brings the same fire to these perfect miniatures that he brought to his triumphant Messiah last year, firmly establishing him as the Handelian of the moment. Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened, Zadok the Priest and The King Shall Rejoice all fizz and crackle but best of all is My Heart Is Inditing, sung with a rich, classy poise.” The Observer, 8th February 2009 “What a strange decision to pad out the four anthems that Handel composed for the coronation of George II in 1727 with well-known bits and pieces from the rest of the composer's oeuvre. With the exception of the Organ Concerto No 4 – given here in the original version with a choral finale – the additional works dilute rather than strengthen the disc's attraction.
It's not as if the Coronation Anthems lack popular appeal – one of them is the great crowd-pleaser Zadok the Priest. Here Christophers opts for surprise rather than suspense in the famous build-up but otherwise the disc's musical quality is dependably high.” The Telegraph, 12th February 2009 “With St Paul's Deptford standing in for Westminster Abbey the acoustic is ideally focused - no 'billow' blurring the edges of a wonderfully buoyant 'The King Shall Rejoice' (its ensuing 'Exceeding Glad' delivered with an irresistible lightness of touch), and if 'My Heart is Inditing' sometimes sounds over-manicured, the orchestra can be relied upon to inject a bit of edge when the singing rises to the Royal occasion with aristocratic detachment. ...overall, this is a regally polished programme.” BBC Music Magazine, March 2009 **** “…these fresh, spontaneous and vivacious performances are revelatory. Not only is the choral singing wonderfully clear, perfectly enunciated, beautifully phrased and impeccably tuned, but also the orchestral playing… is brilliantly alert, bold and lyrical. ...overall this disc ranks as The Sixteen's most exciting achievement in its impressive Handel discography.” Gramophone Magazine, April 2009 “There are plenty of very good recordings of the four anthems that Handel composed for the coronation of King George II and Queen Caroline, but this new one by The Sixteen leaps straight towards the top of the heap (those preferring to hear boy trebles might already admire the excellent version by King's College, Cambridge, under Cleobury, above).
We have come selfishly to expect reliability, stylishness and honest fine musicianship from Harry Christophers, his singers and instrumentalists.
Yet these fresh, spontaneous and vivacious performances are revelatory. Not only is the choral singing wonderfully clear, perfectly enunciated, beautifully phrased and impeccably tuned, but also the orchestral playing – an aspect too often relegated to auto-pilot in this repertoire – is brilliantly alert, bold and lyrical. Zadokthe Priest never fails to make a strong impression even in average performances (and The Sixteen's expertly judged reading is anything but average), but the special quality of this disc is that the other three lesser-known anthems also receive performances that allow them to shine just as brightly as the most famous (and shortest) anthem. My heart is inditing is radiantly performed ('The King shall have pleasure in her beauty' is gorgeously shaped), The King shallrejoice is splendidly poised and paced, and the first part of Let thy hand be strengthened conveys the perfect juxtaposition of forthrightness and elegance. Christophers's sure direction locks onto the musical interest and richness of each section in the longer anthems (some other good versions rely on good openings and grand conclusions, but the bits in between sometimes get a bit lost). Coupled with a sparkling account of the Organ Concerto Op 4 No 4 (superbly played by Alastair Ross, and with a magnificent choral 'Alleluia' finale created for the 1735 revival of Athalia), a couple of orchestral interludes and the last chorus of Messiah, the judicious programme avoids the overkill factor one sometimes encounters when all four anthems are heard consecutively.
Donald Burrows's booklet-note is ideally detailed and accessible, and overall this disc ranks as The Sixteen's most exciting achievement in its impressive Handel discography.” Gramophone Classical Music Guide, 2010 | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Handel - Coronation Anthems
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| |  | Handel: Coronation Anthems
“Willcocks's famous (1960) recording of these four anthems sounds much better on CD than it ever did on LP and is greatly enjoyable, especially Zadok the Priest.” Penguin Guide, 2011 edition | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | The Coronation of King George II
“King opts for slower tempos than expected, illuminating every stately arpeggio in the opening instrumental prelude until the explosive entry of the voices...And in the lovely anthem My heart is inditing, written specifically for the simultaneous coronation of Queen Caroline, the Choir of the King's Consort are at their sensitive best.” Paul Cutts, bbc.co.uk, 20th November 2002 “Robert King’s magical history tour of Hanoverian London brings life to contemporary accounts of the coronation of George II. Outstanding accounts of Handel’s Coronation Anthems and a joyful reading of Purcell’s I was glad … a powerful experience” Classic FM Magazine “A reconstruction, complete with a plethora of fanfares, drum processions, schoolboys shouting 'Vivat Rex!', and a great deal of bell clanging … all of it impressive music, well played and sung, and vividly recorded” Sunday Times | | | In stock - usually despatched within 1 working day. |
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| |  | Handel: Coronation Anthems Nos. 1-4
Such was Handel’s reputation at the time of George II’s coronation, that the King-to-be himself requested that he write the anthems for the occasion instead of Maurice Greene, who had been recommended by the Bishop of Salisbury. This decision led to the composition of some of the most iconic choral music of all time. The thrilling first choral entry of Zadok the Priest, the trumpet fanfares of The King shall rejoice and the majestic final movement of My heart is inditing will be eternally associated with the pomp and circumstance of British Royal tradition. These magnificent pieces still inspire the same sense of excitement and patriotism as at the time of their composition. The Stadtsknappenkoor Elburg and Dutch Baroque Orchestra are conducted by Sir David Willcocks, whose glittering career included the post of organist at Salisbury and Worcester Cathedrals, Musical Director of the internationally renowned Choir of King’s College, Cambridge and Director of the Royal College of Music, London. |
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| |  | Handel: Coronation Anthems
Music has always played a pivotal role in the coronation of British monarchs. The 20th century saw major works composed for the occasion by Parry for Edward VII in 1902, Elgar for George V in 1911, Walton for George VI in 1937, and most recently Walton for Elizabeth II in 1953. Handel was commissioned to supply four new works to be performed with music by Purcell, Tallis, Blow and Gibbons for George II’s coronation in 1727. Of these works, one still forms part of the modern ceremony. Zadok the Priest, the shortest of the anthems, still has the power to surprise and thrill the listener, and must have had an electrifying effect upon those gathered in Westminster Abbey on 11 October 1727. Recording made in 1984. Booklet note and sung texts. ‘This is a most elegant version of these stirring works. The chorus, clear-set against the orchestra, moves with the same precision as the players, and Marriner’s control of the rhythmic groupings is a delight.’ Gramophone, November 1985 “Marriner is here alert to Handel's play with textures, and there's vigour, rich sonorities, and bracing delivery, particularly by Anthony Rolfe Johnson” BBC Music Magazine, Christmas 2010 **** | | | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. |
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| |  | Handel - Coronation Anthems
Rebecca Ryan (soprano) Royal Academy Consort & Tallis Chamber Choir, Jeremy Summerly The four Coronation Anthems, written for the coronation of King George II in 1727, were Handel’s first commission as a naturalised British citizen. Handel always matched his music to the occasion and the building for which it was written, and no occasion could be grander than a coronation. The music of these ceremonial anthems is quite straightforward, the real joy of these pieces stemming from the development of layer upon layer of texture through which Handel shows off his musical pyrotechnics. Zadok the Priest is in particular practically unbeaten in dramatic impact with its initial intensity building towards the ecstasy of the climactic choral entry. | | | (also available to download from $6.00) | Usually despatched in 2 - 3 working days. (Available now to download.) |
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Gramophone Awards 2009
Gramophone Magazine