Handel’s Hercules

English Concert

Fresh from battle, Hercules returns home victorious, but Dejanira is consumed by a jealousy that sets off a tragic chain of events. With Handel’s soaring arias, inventive chromaticism, and powerful choruses, this opera reminds us that mistrust can bring even the mightiest to their knees. Thomas Broughton’s libretto draws from Ovid and Sophocles, with the chorus commenting on events as they unfold …

Handel’s Hercules

English Concert

Fresh from battle, Hercules returns home victorious, but Dejanira is consumed by a jealousy that sets off a tragic chain of events. With Handel’s soaring arias, inventive chromaticism, and powerful choruses, this opera reminds us that mistrust can bring even the mightiest to their knees. Thomas Broughton’s libretto draws from Ovid and Sophocles, with the chorus commenting on events as they unfold …

Handel’s Hercules

English Concert

Fresh from battle, Hercules returns home victorious, but Dejanira is consumed by a jealousy that sets off a tragic chain of events. With Handel’s soaring arias, inventive chromaticism, and powerful choruses, this opera reminds us that mistrust can bring even the mightiest to their knees. Thomas Broughton’s libretto draws from Ovid and Sophocles, with the chorus commenting on events as they unfold …

Music of the Restoration Chapel Royal with Amy Carson, Alexander Chance, and Anthony Gregory

English Concert

A celebration of the work of three members of the Restoration Chapel Royal: Pelham Humfrey, John Blow and their younger contemporary Henry Purcell. Humfrey’s verse anthem ‘Lift up your heads’, a rousing setting of verses from Psalm 24, and Blow’s stately ‘I was glad’ for choir, strings and trumpets set the scene for Purcell’s peerless ode to music’s patron saint. …

Dixit Dominus (Handel in Malta)

English Concert

Dixit Dominus allows us to see the moment when Handel emerged as a mature composer. Written in 1707 on commission from the powerful Colonna family in Rome, it represents the earliest major choral work to survive in the composer’s own hand. 22-year old Handel had already developed an excellent technical mastery of harmony, counterpoint and melody, and was ready to put …

Rinaldo (Handel in Malta)

English Concert

Rinaldo’s triumphant premiere in 1711, replete with dramatic stage effects (including live birds), placed Handel at the forefront of the London opera scene. This concert performance brings the music and libretto of Rinaldo to life in one of Malta’s stunning baroque buildings. Handel Rinaldo Harry Bicket directorAryeh Nussbaum Cohen RinaldoRachael Wilson ArmidaPaula Murrihy GoffredoMary Bevan AlmirenaAshley Riches ArganteAlexander Chance EustazioAndy Shen Liu Araldo/Donna/Magician

The English Concert and Hugh Cutting at Wigmore Hall

English Concert

Hugh Cutting made history in 2021 as the first countertenor to win the Kathleen Ferrier Award and join the roster of BBC New Generation Artists. A rising-star soloist, he was hailed by the Times as “an exceptional voice: lustrous and rounded, with power in reserve and immaculate intonation.” Part 1: ItalianMonteverdi E pur io torno from L’Incoronazione di Poppea Strozzi Che si …

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Brockes Passion – Part 1

“when the English Concert and this vocal ensemble came together under the direction of Harry Bicket, as part of the London Handel Festival, the sound was something of an Easter miracle.”.

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Foundling Hospital Anthem

Handel’s Foundling Hospital Anthem explores how caring for those in need and supporting the vulnerable can create change, both for others and in ourselves. In a world that sometimes feels fractured and divided, this anthem brings a message of unity and hope, encouraging us to reflect on how we can make a difference in the lives of others.