Choir of King’s College, Cambridge
Academy of Ancient Music
Daniel Hyde conductor
Dónal McCann organ
Handel Coronations Anthems:
Zadok the Priest
Let thy hand be strengthened
My heart is inditing
The King shall rejoice
Handel Concerto Grosso in B flat major, Op.3 No.2
Handel Organ Concerto in F major, Op.4 No.4 (with choral final movement)
In 1727, King George II and Queen Caroline were crowned in Westminster Abbey. This was long before the days of beautifully choreographed British pageantry. Some anthems were sung out of order, others missed altogether, and the Queen’s jewel encrusted gown with train was so heavy she needed an undignified pulley to move it around.
The crowning glory however was the first performance of Handel’s Coronation Anthems. They were an immediate hit and the most famous, Zadok the Priest, has been performed at every British coronation since (not to mention being the inspiration for UEFA's Champions’ League football anthem).
This performance features the Choir of King’s with their new Music Director, Daniel Hyde, in his very first concert in post.
I would happily sit in King’s College Chapel listening to this choir for the rest of my days
The Times
Tickets at £36, £28, £23, £16, £5 (student standby) available from The Shop at King's.
Concerts at King's in association with Cambridge Music Festival