Handel's Alexander's Feast

The Choir of Westminster Abbey is joined by leading orchestra the English Concert for an evening of Baroque splendour, with acclaimed soprano Nardus Williams and other featured soloists drawn from the choir. Alexander’s Feast tells the tale of a banquet held by Alexander the Great, during which the famous Theban musician Timotheus sings and plays his lyre. Alexander is moved to extremes of emotion by the music, eventually burning down the captured Persian city of Persepolis in revenge for the loss of his soldiers.

During the extended interval, audience members will have the rare opportunity to explore Westminster Abbey at their own pace. Accompanied by the playing of the harp, evoking the artistry and expressive power of Timotheus’ own music-making, visitors can wander through some of the Abbey’s most beautiful chapels and historic spaces, culminating in a visit to the final resting place of George Frideric Handel, a fitting tribute in an evening dedicated to one of his works.

The Choir of Westminster Abbey is renowned worldwide as one of the finest ensembles of its type, its repertoire extending from plainsong and Renaissance polyphony to twentieth-century masterpieces and new commissions. In addition to singing the daily services, as it has done since the fourteenth century, the Choir plays a central role in the many royal and state occasions which are held in the Abbey, most recently the State Funeral of Queen Elizabeth II and The Coronation of King Charles III and Queen Camilla.

“A choice performance … an extraordinary range of expressive tone.” The Guardian

This concert takes place thanks to the generous support of David Keltner and the late Patricia Owen Keltner.

Programme:
Handel Alexander's Feast

Performers:
The Choir of Westminster Abbey
The English Concert
Nardus Williams soprano
Simon Wall tenor
Andrew Nethsingha conductor