Handel: Coronation Anthems
Sunday, November 17, 3pm
Sanders Theatre, Cambridge
Majestic, powerful, noble.
HANDEL: Coronation Anthems
Zadok the Priest, HWV 258
Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened, HWV 259
The King Shall Rejoice, HWV 260
My Heart Is Inditing, HWV 261
TELEMANN: Hamburgische Trauermusik, TWV 50:A5
‘No coronation without a funeral’
Our November concert features Georg Frideric Handel’s magnificent anthems for the 1727 coronation of George II: Zadok the Priest, My Heart Is Inditing, Let Thy Hand Be Strengthened, and The King Shall Rejoice. Without soloists, this music — powerful, poised, and dramatic — makes the chorus the star.
But, there can be no coronation without a funeral. We’re also performing Georg Philipp Telemann’s sublime Hamburgische Trauermusik, written for the funerals of two mayors of Hamburg. This instrumental work—a poignant contrast to the Handel—will highlight the top-notch players of our period orchestra.
Kevin Leong, Music Director
A deep dive into the concert
In a lively conversation, Kevin Leong, Music Director of Masterworks Chorale, John Sullivan, Assistant Conductor and Accompanist, and Alexandra Amati, musicologist and choral member, discuss the historical background of Handel’s Coronation Anthems and how the music will sound with a period Baroque orchestra.
Sanders Theatre
45 Quincy St, Cambridge, MA 02138
About the venue
Sanders Theatre is located inside Memorial Hall at Harvard University. Completed in 1878 and a member of the League of Historic American Theatres, the 1,000-seat red oak Sanders Theatre offers an intimate 180-degree design that provides unusual proximity to the stage.
Parking and directions
Sanders Theatre is accessible via the MBTA Red Line (Harvard station) and multiple MBTA bus routes (1, 66, 71, 78, 86).
Free parking is available for concert-goers at the Broadway Garage (7 Felton Street, Cambridge, MA).