George Frederick Handel first mastered the English choral style that became the cornerstone of his oratorios in his anthems. The genre dates back practically all the way to the English Reformation, and there are famous examples by William Byrd, Orlando Gibbons, and Henry Purcell. Handel wrote a few for the Duke of Chandos in the late 1710s and wrote an even more famous set for the coronation of King George II, in 1727. With those pieces, Handel – thick German accent and all – became an English musician.
The reliable, well-balanced California Bach Society’s next concert presents a selection of these vibrant, public pieces. The anthems’ exuberance and drama fit well with spring and the Easter season, which (by no coincidence) is also the season of Earth Day.