The Thames Consort

G F Handel Ode Alexander's Feast HWV 75

The Thames Consort is always a popular part of the season; this year they perform Handel's dramatic and colourful work for soprano, tenor and bass soloists, choir and orchestra.

Alexander's Feast, or The Power of Music, was written for London in 1736; the great success of the ode encouraged Handel to move from writing Italian operas to English oratorios.

The libretto is based on a poem by John Dryden. The scene is a great banquet held by Alexander the Great and his mistress Thaïs to celebrate his defeat of the Persian king, Darius; Alexander's bard, Timotheus, is able by his singing to move Alexander to various emotions until finally he incites him to burn Persepolis down in revenge for his dead Greek soldiers. Finally St Cecilia descends and lifts the mood from barbarity to a higher plane.

Handel's music vividly brings to life all the conflicting passions of the story.