Purcell - Royal Odes - The King's Consort - Carolyn Sampson, Iestyn Davies

In October 2020 The King’s Consort assembled a world-class vocal and instrumental ensemble to record a glorious programme of three of Purcell’s finest Royal Odes. Filmed during those sessions, conductor and Purcell expert Robert King provides fascinating background to the music and its background.
Spanning almost the whole of his period as an established composer, Purcell’s odes show him at his finest. A glorious succession of overtures, choruses, arias and delicious ritornelli display astonishing imagination and ingenuity: yet never far beneath the surface lies the sense of melancholy, of fading glory, that is the hallmark of Purcell’s greatest music.
For more than three decades The King’s Consort has been renowned across the globe for its performances of the music of Henry Purcell. In 1988, Robert King’s ensemble recorded its first disc of Purcell’s odes: that ground-breaking series of the complete odes (most of them at that time largely unknown) was followed by similar series of the sacred music and the secular songs, and changed the musical world’s perception of Purcell. Since then there has been hardly a year in which the odes haven’t appeared in TKC’s concert programmes: this is music which runs through the ensemble’s veins.
During the pandemic lockdown, thirty-two years after their first Purcell recording, TKC returned to the studio to record three substantial odes: two written for Queen Mary, and one for King James II. An outstanding team of soloists (including Carolyn Sampson, Iestyn Davies, Charles Daniels and Matthew Brook) included one member of the ensemble who took part in that first recording, alongside others who have been performing these works with TKC for twenty years. On the other hand, three of 2020’s singers were not even born when TKC recorded that first disc. A superlative instrumental ensemble provides equally outstanding contributions.
The recording was made in the spacious surroundings of the recently restored Fairfield Halls, Croydon, whose warm, clear acoustic is perfect for this music.
REPERTOIRE
Ode for the Welcome of King James II: ”Why, why are all the Muses mute?” (1685)
Ode for the birthday of Queen Mary: “Now does the glorious day appear” (1689)
Ode for the birthday of Queen Mary: “Welcome, welcome, glorious morn” (1691)
THE KING’S CONSORT
Carolyn Sampson, Emily Owen, Lisa Beckley, Gwendolen Martin soprano
Iestyn Davies, Hugh Cutting countertenor
Charles Daniels, David de Winter tenor
Matthew Brook, Edward Grint bass
Kati Debretzeni, Huw Daniel violin
Dorothea Vogel, Rose Redgrave viola
Sarah McMahon, Timothy Smedley bass violin
Frances Norbury, Mark Baigent oboe
Neil Brough, John Hutchins trumpet
Lynda Sayce theorbo
Mark Williams harpsichord & organ
Robert King conductor
The CD recording was released on the VIVAT label on 26 February 2021: catalogue VIVAT 121
Also in high-resolution download from www.vivatmusic.com