Gloriana

Both Queen Elizabeth I and II reigned during astonishingly rich and golden ages of musical composition, This concert celebrates English choral music, both sacred and secular, written during their times on the throne. Madrigals and motets by William
Byrd, Thomas Tallis and Thomas Morley are contrasted with works by Benjamin Britten, Ralph Vaughan Williams and James MacMillan. The second half in particular is taken from two collections offered to the two queens – The Triumphs of Oriana in 1601, A Garland for the Queen in 1953 - and from Britten’s opera Gloriana.

The concert highlights the amazingly rich and vibrant musical life of two of England’s greatest queens, who together reigned for over 114 years.