Handel: Ode for St. Cecilia's Day, Look Down, Harmonious Saint & Concerto grosso, Op. 6 No. 7 Ludus Baroque Chorus, Ludus Baroque Chamber Orchestra, Richard Neville-Towle

• Georg Friedrich Händel (1685 - 1759): Ode for St. Cecilia's Day, HWV 76:
• 1 Overture 06:35
• 2 Recitative: From Harmony, from heav'nly Harmony (Tenor) 02:57
• 3 Chorus: From Harmony (Chorus) 03:46
• 4 Air: What passion cannot Music raise (Soprano) 09:32
• 5 Air and Chorus: The trumpet's loud clangour (Tenor, Chorus) 03:44
• 6 March 01:48
• 7 Air: The soft complaining flute (Soprano) 05:31
• 8 Air: Sharp violins proclaim (Tenor) 04:23
• 9 Air: But oh! what art can teach (Soprano) 05:33
• 10 Air: Orpheus could lead the savage race (Soprano) 01:56
• 11 Recitative: But bright Cecilia (Soprano) 00:52
• 12 Air and Chorus: As from the powers of sacred lays (Soprano, Chorus) 07:26
• Concerto grosso in B-Flat Major, Op. 6 No. 7, HWV 325:
• 13 I. Largo - II. Allegro 03:52
• 14 III. Largo, e piano 02:39
• 15 IV. Andante 04:04
• 16 V. Hornpipe 03:26
• 17 Look down, harmonious Saint, HWV 124 11:44
• Total Runtime 01:19:48

Info for Handel: Ode for St. Cecilia's Day, Look Down, Harmonious Saint & Concerto grosso, Op. 6 No. 7

Following the widespread critical acclaim of their debut recording, 'Alexander’s Feast', Ludus Baroque brings their celebrated verve to Handel's 'Song for St Cecilia’s Day'. Coupled with his miniature cantata for tenor, 'Look down Harmonius Saint', which Handel wrote to supplement performances of 'Alexander's Feast', and with the Concerto Grosso in B flat, written in his fruitful autumn of 1739, Handel approaches the setting of this second text by John Dryden with the same extraordinary vividness of detail and metrical virtuosity as Alexander’s Feast.

"What passion cannot music raise and quell?" - the answer is that it can raise and quell them all: martial, erotic, sacred … but as music had, in the beginning, been the divine principle of cosmic order, so, on the Final Day, it will be the force that dissolves the universe.

“The ode receives an orderly performance. I wish there were double the number of string-players: the sonority of only six violins is insufficiently grand for the overture's opening...The unaffected 19-strong choir outweights the slimline orchestra at times....but kudos to Delphian for the intelligent choice of cover art reflecting Dryden's first stanza discussing the creation of the universe.” (Gramophone Magazine)

“Ludus Baroque acquits itself admirably...with instrumental exponents stylishly playing, whether in a group or in single contributions. The choral side produces fresh sounds...Bevan and Lyon serve the music laudably. She has a clean, limpid tone, which sits well in Handel's arias, smooth but not pale, shining but not glaring...Among [Lyon's] positive points are his natural singing and enunciation, his clean articulation of rapid notes and a pleasing tone.” (International Record Review)

“Ludus Baroque presents its qualities with unusual vividness in this spacious and measured performance...the whole choral and orchestral tableau is marvellously realised here in an acoustic that combines richness with presence. Superb vocal solos, too” (BBC Music Magazine)

“a blaze of glory … The instrumental roster includes some of the UK’s leading baroque specialists and the results are every bit as elegant as one might expect in support of a responsive chorus and a pair of outstanding soloists, ...conveying Dryden’s text as though their lives depended on it.” (Choir & Organ)

Mary Bevan, soprano
Ed Lyon, tenor
Ludus Baroque
Richard Neville-Towle, conductor

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