In the twentieth century the name of King’s College became inextricably entwined with the celebration of Christmas across the English-speaking world. The twenty-first century has seen the very welcome and appropriate balancing of this through the inception, success and growth of Easter at King’s: a festival of concerts, recitals and talks for Holy Week and Easter.
The Easter Festival returns in Holy Week. Highlights this year include a performance of Dvořák’s Stabat Mater on Good Friday with the Philharmonia Chorus and BBC Concert Orchestra, broadcast live on BBC Radio 3; King’s College Choir and the Academy of Ancient Music will present Bach’s St John Passion on Holy Saturday; in celebration of the 400th anniversary of the death of William Byrd, King’s College Choir will be accompanied by Phantasm in the composer’s ‘Great’ Service at Evensong on Easter Day; the festival will conclude on Easter Monday with a second recital by Phantasm in front of Rubens’ Adoration of the Magi, featuring the consort music of William Byrd.
