Handel’s Solomon

From the BBC Proms 2022: the BBC Singers and The English Concert with conductor Sofi Jeannin perform Handel's Solomon with a stunning cast of soloists including Iestyn Davies as Solomon.

Presented by Hannah French from the Royal Albert Hall, London.

Handel: Solomon

Iestyn Davies - Solomon
Anna Dennis - Solomon’s Queen/First Harlot
Benjamin Hulett - Zadok
Ashley Riches - A Levite
Wallis Giunta - Queen of Sheba/Second Harlot
BBC Singers
The English Concert
Sofi Jeannin - conductor

‘Thy harmony's divine, great king
All, all obey the artist's string.
And now, illustrious prince, receive
Such tribute as my realm can give.’

A musician as monarch: what could be more perfect? Handel’s Solomon (1749) is a celebration of a nation (and a genius) at the height of its confidence, and with its libretto by Moses Mendes, this lavish oratorio is the gloriously tuneful product of a diverse and fast-changing society. Iestyn Davies – arguably Britain’s finest living countertenor – lavishes all his eloquence and dramatic power on the title-role, as the period instruments of The English Concert, and the BBC Singers under their Chief Conductor Sofi Jeannin, bring Handel’s vision to majestic life.