Royal Welcome Songs For King James Ii

The Sixteen, Harry Christophers

Despite being written for the celebration of royal occasions, Purcells Royal Welcome Songs were penned during a time of immense disillusionment with the monarchy. Filled with humour as well as an ironic detachment from the politics of the time, Ye tuneful muses and Sound the trumpet fizz with the dramatic energy which characterised his later operas and mark a crucial turning point in Purcells career. This programme showcases the variety and diversity of Purcells writing, opening with the Chacony in G minor, which is among the great glories of music for strings, and including When on my sick bed I languish - an amazingly impassioned piece in which he bares his soul...quintessential Purcell!

Purcell: 
 Chacony in G minor - for Two Violins, Viola and Bass Z730
 When on my sick bed I languish, Z144
 True Englishmen drink a good health (Catch No. 45), Z284
 Ye tuneful Muses (Welcome Song for James II, 1686)
 A New Irish Tune Z646
 God is gone up with a merry noise (Canon a 7), Z107
 A New Scotch Tune Z 655
 Save me, O God, Z51
 Sound the trumpet, beat the drum, Z335

"Using just 12 string players and eight singers, Christophers creates a vivid sense of celebration and occasion, conjuring blustering trumpet fanfares and drum-rolls from his ensemble, while his solo singers pre-empt the textural variety and rhetorical sensitivity of Purcell’s stage works."
Gramophone Magazine - October 2017

"Christophers is in his element here, and though his string ensemble is half the size of Purcell’s Twenty-Four Violins, he coaxes a robust, full-bodied sound from his players. The detailed recording puts the octet of singers up-front, so the words seem to chisel the musical line."
BBC Music Magazine - November 2017 ****

"The Welcome Songs are full of fascinating, top-notch Purcell, both vocally and instrumentally. As one might expect, Christophers’s long familiarity with Purcell yields richly satisfying and stylish readings."
Choir & Organ - November/December 2017 *****