Favourite Baroque Arias
John-Mark Ainsley / Gillian Fisher / Michael George / James Bowman / Robert King / King’s Consort
“[An] enjoyable [anthology] of arias sacred and secular… performances that would be hard to better in expressivity, quality of tone and diction, intonation, control of vibrato, and absence of technical strain.… =The recording is as clear as a frosty morning, the acoustic spacious, and the balance exemplary.… A disc I shall often return to… Warmly recommended.”
Bach, J S: Sheep May Safely Graze, from Cantata BWV208
Handel: Alexander’s Feast: Revenge, revenge, Timotheus cries
Handel: Heroes, when with glory burning (from Joshua)
Handel: Jephtha: Waft her, angels, through the skies
Handel: O ruddier than the Cherry (from Acis and Galatea)
Handel: Ode for St Cecilia’s Day: The trumpet’s loud clangor
Handel: Ombra mai fu (from Serse)
Handel: Samson: How willing my paternal love
Handel: Samson: Let the bright seraphim
Handel: Semele: Where’er you walk
Purcell: When I am laid in earth (from Dido and Aeneas)
Weldon: Arise ye subterranean winds