Royal Welcome Songs For Charles Ii

The Sixteen, Harry Christophers

Charles II's formal Restoration in 1660 marked both an end and a beginning: the end of England's republican experiment and the beginning of a long process of monarchical reconstruction; and with a politically accident-prone king on the throne, Charles's public relations machine could never rest. Purcell joined its small team of composer operatives just as the wave of Stuart propaganda swelled massively, and he surfed the wave with breathtaking panache, from his first court ode – the simple but rousing Welcome, Vicegerent of the mighty King – to the ambitious Fly, bold rebellion involving verse settings in up to seven parts and a six-part chorus.

Purcell:
 Beati omnes qui timent Dominum, Z131
 Catch - Since the Duke is return’d, Z271
 Great God and just, Z186
 Let mine eyes run down with tears, Z24
 O sing unto the Lord, Z44
 Sleep, Adam, and take thy rest, Z195
 Welcome Song - Fly, bold rebellion, Z324
 Welcome, vicegerent of the mighty king, Z340

"... De uitvoering is bijzonder expressief, met dramatische stiltes ('Oh worship the Lord') en schrijnende solopassages, bijvoorbeeld in tearjerker 'Great God, and just'. De stukken zijn complex , af en toe zelfs zesstemmig."
ZING MAGAZINE 81 ****

"As we should expect, [the Welcome Songs] are cheerful pieces whose character is realised in the spontaneous responses of The Sixteen…Taken together these compositions produce a colourful chiaroscuro of Purcell’s music for the Restoration court.
BBC Music Magazine - July 2018 *****

"Elegantly appointed strings and sweet phrasing are spot-on for Welcome, Viceregent of the mighty King…Christopher’s sense of shapely natural pacing is unerring, although the frequent inclusion of anachronistic harp is a baffling whimsy."
Gramophone Magazine - July 2018