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Easter at King's: in a concert from King's College Chapel Cambridge, Stephen Cleobury conducts the King's College Choir and the Hanover Band in Handel's rarely-performed Brockes Passion.

Recorded at King's College on Holy Saturday, introduced by Donald Macleod.

Handel: Brockes Passion

Ailish Tynan (soprano)
Helen Jane Howells (soprano)
Benjamin Williamson (countertenor)
Ben Johnson (tenor)
Roderick Williams (baritone)
Morgan Pearse (baritone)
Ed Lyon (tenor - Evangelist)

Choir of King's College Cambridge
The Hanover Band (leader Theresa Caudle)
Stephen Cleobury conductor

In contrast with the traditional Passion oratorios, the text by the German poet Barthold Heinrich Brockes weaves together all four gospel narratives, and adds his own reflective and emotional poetry. Handel's composition of the Brockes Passion is shrouded in mystery: it's not known where, when or why he composed the work - the first known performance was in Hamburg in 1719, by which time Handel had been living in London for seven years. Handel's oratorio was hugely popular throughout contemporary Germany, and one particular fan was J.S. Bach, who copied it out by hand, conducted it twice and used it as a model for his own Passion settings. This performance is part of 'Easter at King's', a festival of services and concerts across the Easter weekend.