The Musical Saint

This is a lovely record of celebratory music by Handel, performed by The King's Consort and the Choir of the King's Consort directed by Robert King, with excellent soloists in soprano Carolyn Sampson and tenor James Gilchrist. The main work is An Ode For St Cecilia's Day but the disk also features an Italian language cantata on the same theme, Cecilia Volgi Un Sguardo. St Cecilia is the patron saint of music and musicians, although as with many patron saints the connection seems a little tenuous to say the least. Nice to think that such an important human activity is suitably blessed though and she is celebrated in fine style by both works here, which are typically Handelian in style with borrowings from other of his works, another common feature. It is hard to think of them being given better performances than here either, the band and chorus drive along with vigour and verve and the two soloists are on top form in both the elongated coloratura displays and the more reflective lyrical moments, Sampson particularly touching here. The blameless members of the King's Consort seem to be surviving the troubles of their founder, another piece of good news since they are a band of distinction in this repertoire.