Handel: Chandos Anthems

In the summer of 1717, after performing his Water Music during a royal cruise on the Thames, Handel began composing for James Brydges (1674-1744), who became the first Duke of Chandos and created the Cannons Concert at his estate in Cannons (near Edgware), with ten instrumentalists and three singers. Handel composed eleven anthems and a Te Deum for him from August 1717 onwards, as well as transposing and revising As pants the hart (HWV 251b). O sing unto the Lord a new song (HWV 249b) is an adaptation of an anthem written three years earlier for the Chapel Royal. The anthem Have mercy upon me, O God (HWV 248) was composed in 1717 and is a paraphrase of the Miserere. The Alleluia of Let God arise (HWV 256a) prefigures the famous Hallelujah chorus from Messiah (1741).

These new recordings by Arcangelo and Jonathan Cohen recapture this music's original context as an accompaniment to (magnificent) private worship, with forces authentically scaled to the original performing ensemble and spaces at Brydge's Cannons estate.

Featured works

• Handel: O sing unto the Lord HWV 249b
• Handel: Have mercy upon me, O God HWV 248
• Handel: As pants the hart HWV 251b
• Handel: Let God arise HWV 256a

Press & Praise

BBC MUSIC MAGAZINE - CHORAL CHOICE

*****

"Brevity is of the essence...yet every one of [the Chandos Anthems] is packed with intricate polyphonic detail, and infused with burning passion. And each member of Jonathan Cohen's vocal line-up is a Baroque specialist."

THE TIMES

"...even being rebuked by God sounds rather good fun when set to music by Handel and performed with the expressive vigour that always makes Jonathan Cohen's work with Arcangelo worthwhile. The intimacy of the music-making (eight bright voices, 11 sparkling instrumentalists) is part of this album's special joy."

BBC RADIO 3 / RECORD REVIEW

"Wonderful playing... so beautiful, so intimate, so virtuosic..."

FINANCIAL TIMES
"The anthems may be like miniature Handelian oratorios, but the church was small and the style here is appropriately intimate. Jonathan Cohen, Arcangelo’s artistic director, favours gentle musicianship and unexaggerated speeds, more private devotion than public concert. The singers are well chosen, soprano Hilary Cronin and tenor Samuel Boden duetting especially elegantly. Deborah Cachet and Hugo Hymas, alternate soprano and tenor, are hardly less fine, and there is nicely poised, warm-toned playing from the Arcangelo musicians."

RONDO.DE

"Meist mit drei Sängern, kleinem Chor und kaum mehr als zehn Instrumentalisten auskommend, hat Jonathan Cohen mit seinem mitreißenden Ensemble Arcangelo nun vier dieser Anthems eingespielt. In den Werknummern 4, 3, 6 und 11 entfaltete er auf kleinem Hymnenspielraum mustergültig das Spektrum barocker Affekte, bei diszipliniert straffem, immer kammermusikalisch durchsichtigem Spiel, doch auch mit weich flutender Melodik der Solostimmen."

EUROPADISC

"All four works have a deep expressive impact, and for those wanting first-rate performances in state-of-the-art sound, this disc goes straight to the top of the pile. Another unmissable Arcangelo release from Alpha Classics!"