Château de Versailles Spectacles have produced a really classy period instruments recording of Purcell’s Hail! Bright Cecilia with a bonus of Blow’s Welcome Every Guest. The band s La Poème Harmonique under the direction of their founder Vincent Dumestre. It’s a very authentic period sound and the small chorus is precise and sings in excellent English.
The Blow piece is short but but interesting and it gets a sprightly and almost jazzy reading. Both baritone Tomáš Král and teHugo Hymas are excellent and have perfect English, “The sacred Nine” is particularly enjoyable.
operaramblings 