Music to her Majestie - Odes for the last Stuart

Painting a unique portrait of a remarkable monarch, Spiritato and the lutenist Elizabeth Kenny are joined by a crack team of soloists to explore exquisite works dedicated to the last Stuart. Often overlooked, Queen Anne was a lifelong patroness of the arts, witnessing both the end of the Restoration and the arrival of a new, virtuosic Italian style.

The concert begins with Purcell’s beautiful music for her wedding as a young princess, continues with the modern premiere of John Eccles’ lyrical Inspire Us, Genius of the Day, full of hope for Britain’s new Queen in 1703, and ends with Handel’s glowing ode for her birthday of 1713, his masterpiece Eternal Source of Light Divine. Each work features the finest composer and leading poet of the day, and shines a light on two decades of politics and power at the dawn of the 18th century.

Generously supported by Continuo Foundation, Angel Early Music and the Gemma Classical Music Trust