Charles Mackerras, English Chamber Orchestra, Wandsworth School Choir - Handel: Judas Maccabaeus (1995)

Surely a Judas Maccabaeus recorded on modern instruments nearly twenty years ago is one to ignore? Well, no. Charles Mackerras is one of music’s fresher minds, and he has always favoured incisive rhythms, clear textures, light bowing and carefully varied articulation in Baroque music. The ECO responds with verve to the wondrous grace and variety of Handel’s music. The late Russell Burgess’s Wandsworth School Choir is an eloquent testament of what is possible in an inner-city comprehensive given will-power and a gifted enough teacher. And who would willingly trade a cast of Ryland Davies as Maccabaeus, John Shirley-Quirk as Simon, the incomparable Felicity Palmer and Janet Baker, at the height of their powers, as the Israelitish Woman and Man, for another? Not I.

– Stephen Pettitt

Performer:
Judas Maccabaeus - Ryland Davies
Israelitish Woman - Felicity Palmer
Israelitish Man - Janet Baker
Simon - John Shirley-Quirk
Eupolemus - Christopher Keyte
Messenger - Paul Esswood
Wandsworth School Choir
English Chamber Orchestra
Conductor - Charles Mackerras

Track List:
CD1:
01. Overture
Part I
02. 2. Chorus: "Mourn, ye afflicted children"
03. 3. Recit.: "Well, may our sorrows, brethren, flow"
04. 4. Duet: "From this dread scene"
05. 5. Chorus: "For Sion lamentation make"
06. 6. Recit.: "Not vain is all the storm of grief"
07. 7. Aria: "Pious orgies, pious airs"
08. 8. Chorus: "Oh Father, whose Almighty pow'r"
09. 9. Recit.: "I feel, I fee the Deity within"
10. 10. Aria: "Arm, arm, ye brave!"
11. 11. Chorus: "We come, we come, in bright array"
12. 12. Recit.: "'Tis well, my friends"
13. 13. Aria: "Call forth thy pow'rs, my soul"
14. 14. Recit.: "To Heav'n's Almighty king we kneel"
15. 15. Aria: "Oh liberty, thou choicest treasure"
16. 16. Aria: "Come, ever-smiling liberty"
17. 17. Recit.: "Oh Judas, may these noble views inspire"
18. 18. Aria: "'Tis liberty, dear liberty alone"
19. 19. Duet: "Come, ever-smiling liberty"
20. 20. Chorus: "Lead on, lead on! Judah disdains"
21. 21. Recit.: "So will'd my father, now a rest"
22. 22. Semi-chorus: "Disdainfull of danger"
23. 23. Recit.: "Ambition! if e'er honour was thine aim"
24. 24. Aria: "No unhallow'd desire"
25. 25. Recit.: "Haste we, my brethren"
26. 26. Chorus: "Hear us Lord, on thee we call"
CD2:
Part II
01. 27. Chorus: "Fall'n is the foe"
02. 28. Recit.: "Victorious hero! Fame shall tell"
03. 29. Aria: "So rapid thy course is"
04. 30. Recit.: "Well, may we hope our freedom to receive"
05. 31./32. Duet And Chorus:"Sion now her head shall rise"
06. 33. Recit.: "Oh let eternal honours crown his name"
07. 34. Aria: "From mighty kings he took the spoil"
08. 35./36. Duet And Chorus: "Hail, hail, Judea, happy land!"
09. 37. Recit.: "Thanks to my brethren, but look up to Heav'n"
10. 38. Aria: "How vain is man, who boasts in fight"
11. 39. Recit.: "Oh Judas, oh my brethren!"
12. 40./41. Aria And Chorus: "Ah! wretched, wretched Israel!"
13. 42. Recit.: "Be comforted"
14. 43. Aria: "The Lord worketh wonders"
15. 44. Recit.:"My arms! - against this Gorgias will I go"
16. 45. Aria: "Sound an alarm!" 46. Chorus: "We hear, we hear the pleasing dreadful sound"
17. 47. Recit.: "Enough!" To Heav'n we leave the rest"
18. 48. Aria: "With pious hearts, and brave as pious"
19. 49. Recit.: "Ye worshippers of God"
20. 50. Aria: "Wise men, flatt'ring, may deceive us"
21. 51. Duet: "Oh! never, never bow we down" - 52. Chorus: We never, never will bow down
CD3:
Part III
01. 53. Aria: "Father of Heav'n! from Thy eternal throne"
02. 54. Recit.: "See, see yon flames"
03. 55. Recit.: "Oh grant it, Heav'n"
04. 56. Aria: "So shall the lute and harp awake"
05. 57. Recit.: "From Capharsalama, on eagle wings I fly"
06. 58. Chorus Of Youth: "See, the conqu'ring hero comes!"- Chorus Of Virgins: "See, the godlike youth advance!" - Chorus: "See, the conqu'ring hero comes!"
07. 59. March
08. 60. Chorus: "Sing unto God"
09. 61. Recit.: " Sweet flow the strains"
10. 62. Aria: "With honour let desert be crown'd"
11. 63. Recit: "Peace to my countrymen"
12. 64. Chorus:"To our great God be all the honours giv'n"
13. 65. Recit.: "Again to earth let gratitude descend"
14. 66. Aria, Duett:"Oh lovely peace, with plenty crown'd"
15. 67. Aria: "Rejoice, oh Judah! and in songs devine"
16. 68. Chorus: "Hallelujah! Amen!"