Hail! Bright Cecilia: A Purcellian Feast

Henry Purcell left a lasting legacy as England’s greatest composer of the 17th century, and is still renowned for his ability to set English text with unmatched clarity and elegance. While today he is best known for works like Dido and Aeneas, grand ceremonial odes written for the Chapel Royal and the court of his patrons forged his reputation, particularly Hail, Bright Cecilia (1692)—a work that has never been performed in full in Kansas City. This program frames that ode with two regal works—I was glad for James II’s coronation and the cheerful “Bell Anthem,” Rejoice in the Lord, Alway—both written for England’s great sacred spaces and traditions of pageantry.