^{FIRST PUBLISHED 18 MAY 2025}

In celebration of David Hill's birthday, this playlist features the celebrated conductor's top early music choices, from Bach's St Matthew Passion and Brandenburg Concertos, to Rameau's Les Boréades and Handel's Organ Concertos. We also include tracks from some of David's own recordings of early choral music - for which he is perhaps best known - including with his beloved Bach Choir, Winchester Cathedral Choir, and Yale Schola Cantorum. Also featured are some tracks from his double harpsichord recordings with David Ponsford.

Listen below, or on our Spotify Playlist - David Hill. You can also read more about David Hill in our recent feature: Generations inspired... The choral brilliance of David Hill.

JS Bach – St Matthew Passion, BWV 244: No. 1 'Kommt, ihr Töchter, helft mir klagen'

John Eliot Gardiner | English Baroque Soloists | The Monteverdi Choir | The London Oratory Junior Choir

JS Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 5 in D, BWV 1050: I. Allegro

Academy of Ancient Music | Richard Egarr

Rameau – Overture to Les Boréades

John Eliot Gardiner | English Baroque Soloists

Handel – Israel in Egypt: 'The People shall hear'

David Hill | The English Concert | The Bach Choir

JS Bach – Brandenburg Concerto No. 6 in B flat, BWV 1051: III. Allegro (arr. for two harpsichords by David Ponsford)

David Hill | David Ponsford

Gibbons – 'This is the Record of John'

David Hill | Robin Blaze | Sarah Baldock | Winchester Cathedral Choir

Handel – Organ Concerto in B flat, Op. 6 No. 4: Andante – Allegro

Academy of Ancient Music | Richard Egarr

Rameau – Les Boréades, Entrée to Act IV

John Eliot Gardiner, English Baroque Soloists

Handel – L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, Pt 1: 'Or let the merry bells ring round'

David Hill | The English Concert | The Bach Choir | Carolyn Sampson

Tallis – Missa Salve intemerata: III. Sanctus

David Hill | Winchester Cathedral Choir

JS Bach – St Mathew Passion, BWV 244: No. 39 'Erbarme dich'

Michael Chance, John Eliot Gardiner, English Baroque Soloists

Schütz – 'Ein Kind ist uns geboren', SWV 384

David Hill | Yale Schola Cantorum

Rameau – Les Boréades, Act V: 'Que ces moments sont doux'

John Eliot Gardiner | English Baroque Soloists | Jennifer Smith | Philip Langridge

JS Bach – Sonata No. 4 in E minor, BWV 528: I. Adagio; Vivace

David Hill | David Ponsford

Handel – Samson, Act III: Air. 'Let the bright'

David Hill | The English Concert | The Bach Choir | Carolyn Sampson

Byrd – 'Ego sum panis vivus' a 4 (Gradualia 1605)

David Hill | Winchester Cathedral Choir

Vivaldi – Harpsichord Concerto in D minor, BWV 596: II. Largo e spiccato

David Hill | David Ponsford

Handel – Solomon, Pt 1: 'May no rash intruder'

David Hill | The English Concert | The Bach Choir

JS Bach – Passacaglia & Fugue in C minor, BWV 582: Passacaglia

Karl Richter

JS Bach – St Matthew Passion, BWV 244: No. 68 'Wir setzen uns mit Tränen nieder'

John Eliot Gardiner | English Baroque Soloists | The Monteverdi Choir | The London Oratory Junior Choir