Baroque In The North join St George's Singers, one of the most enterprising and innovative choirs in the North of England with a passion for singing and a commitment to the highest choral standards.

Alexander’s Feast or The Power of Music was composed by Handel in 1736, and was based on an ode by John Dryden written some 38 years earlier to celebrate St Cecilia, the patron saint of music.

An oratorio with operatic dimensions, Alexander’s Feast is a dramatic description of the aftermath of war and the ability of music to create atmospheres and alter human moods and emotions. It features three fabulous soloists, wonderful orchestration and brilliant choruses evoking love, excitement, drunkenness, sadness and desire for revenge, leading to a final celebration of music’s power.

The story and the characters of Alexander’s Feast would have been well known to Handel’s audience. For modern ears, here is a brief synopsis of the plot.

There will be a free, pre-concert talk at 6:45pm by Neil Taylor and Rosemary Broadbent, who will explain more about the background to the work, and how Handel himself creates ‘mood music’. Entrance to the talk is included in the concert ticket price. There is no need to book for the talk, which will take place in the side chapel in the Church.