June 8th, 2013

Henry & George
- a choral celebration of Henry Purcell and George Frederick Handel.

Following CML's immensely successful concert of Venetian baroque music last October, the choir returns to the St Stephen's Festival in Kensington in June for Henry and George, featuring more baroque masterpieces, this time from closer to home.

In Henry Purcell and George Frideric Handel, England was able to boast two of the most innovative and singular composers of the baroque age.

Before 1700, the native Purcell wrote numerous odes for royal occasions – all great paeans of celebration. Come Ye Sons of Art is a sparkling commemoration of the birthday of Queen Mary, and includes the virtuosic counter-tenor duet, Sound the Trumpet. Written for the annual celebrations of the patron saint of music, St Cecilia, Welcome To All The Pleasures is a highly inventive honouring of all things musical.

After 1700, London welcomed Handel, a cosmopolitan German, whose music subsequently adorned many spectacular English celebrations. His Ode For The Birthday of Queen Anne is typical of his style, and starts with Eternal Source of Light Divine which featured in the recent Olympic closing ceremony.

For this St Stephen’s Festival appearance, Collegium Musicum is joined by a glittering array of period instrumentalists for what promises to be a spectacular musical recreation of seventeenth and eighteenth century London; a city where libertine politics, wealth and culture conspired to create a hedonistic playground in which people sought pleasure and amusement on an unprecedented scale

Joining the choir again will be Tim Travers-Brown, counter-tenor (pictured right), together with other accomplished soloists Philippa Hyde, soprano, Tom Williams, counter-tenor, Matthew Sandy, tenor, and Giles Underwood, bass.

Saturday, June 8th
2013, 7.30pm
St Stephen’s Church
Gloucester Road
London, SW7 4AL

Tickets 12.00 / 8.00, available on the door,
in advance on 020 8946 7505; on the day of the
concert on 07812 599 340