The Coronation of King George II: A reconstruction of the Coronation of the King

"A recreation of the 1727 Coronation which captures the atmosphere of the occasion with great skill. There is some magnificent music to be discovered." Editor's Choice - Gramophone Magazine (Dec 2001)

'Vividly atmospheric' (The Guardian)

'Robert King's magical history tour of Hanoverian London brings life to contemporary accounts of the coronation of George II. Outstanding accounts of Handel's Coronation Anthems and a joyful reading of Purcell's I was glad … a powerful experience' (Classic FM Magazine)

'The whole experience of listening repeatedly to this restaged coronation has been deeply satisfying and indeed moving. It is not like hearing a recording. You were there - it is as simple, and as wonderful, as that' (Fanfare)

Crowning The King's Consort's celebrations of its twenty-first birthday and its millionth CD sale for Hyperion, comes a truly spectacular reconstruction, that of the Coronation of King George II in Westminster Abbey in 1727. Complete with ringing trumpet fanfares sounding from all corners of the venue, dramatic drum processions up and down the aisles, shouts of acclamation from a huge cast, pealing church bells (especially recorded at historic churches and cathedrals across England and Wales), and some of the greatest of all ceremonial music, this two-for-the-price-of-one disc is a spectacular musical and sonic tour-de-force.
The music is fronted by Handel's four great Coronation Anthems, including Zadok the Priest (so striking at its first 1727 hearing that it has been performed at every Coronation ever since), alongside splendid coronation music by Henry Purcell, John Blow, William Child, John Farmer, Thomas Tallis and Orlando Gibbons.

The CD was recorded in Sony's revolutionary new "Sonoma" one-bit, DSD format, and is available in both conventional CD and the stunning new "surround-sound" SACD format.

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The King's Consort is one of Britain's most exciting period instrument ensembles, performing both as a chamber ensemble and as a baroque orchestra. Recent concerts and tours have taken the group to Argentina, Belgium, Brazil, Canada, Eire, Finland, Italy, Japan, the Netherlands, Switzerland, Turkey and Taiwan, and it has an especial following in France and Spain.
In 1991 the Consort made an enormously successful debut at London's Royal Albert Hall in the Proms and was immediately invited to return in the 1993 season. In 1995 the Consort launched BBC TV's Purcell celebrations with a live televised New Year's Day concert, appeared for a third time at the Proms and gave concerts throughout the United Kingdom, making debuts at the Bath, Chester, City of London and Three Choirs Festivals. During 1995 it also toured Spain, the Netherlands, Germany, France, Sweden and Norway and, further afield, The Philippines, Hong Kong, Argentina and Brazil.

In 1992 The King's Consort staged its first opera, Handel's Ottone, in Japan and Britain; in 1995 it presented Handel's Ezio at the Théâtre des Champs-Elysées in Paris, and Purcell's The Indian Queen in the historic theatre in Schwetzingen, Germany.

The Consort has become one of the most recorded period-instrument ensembles in Britain, with its sixty highly-acclaimed recordings for Hyperion winning international awards. It is best known for its performances of music by Handel and Purcell, but its recorded repertory also includes Bach cantatas and Dowland lute songs with James Bowman, the Bach violin concertos, Schütz's The Christmas Story, Mozart's Epistle Sonatas, Pergolesi's Stabat Mater, Couperin's Trois Leçons de Ténèbres, concertos and instrumental music by Telemann, Albinoni and Vivaldi, Handel's Italian Duets and 'Music for Royal Occasions' and a notable world premiere recording of Handel's Musick for the Royal Fireworks in the composer's original scoring for a giant wind band, coupled with an equally extravagant recording of the four coronation anthems. The Consort's large-scale Handel recordings also include Acis and Galatea, Joshua, Judas Maccabaeus, Deborah and The Occasional Oratorio and the opera Ottone. Recently the Consort has begun a major project recording Vivaldi's sacred music.

The Consort has become especially noted for its performances of Purcell's music and has made premiere recordings of the complete secular solo songs, an eight-CD set of the twenty-four Odes and Welcome Songs, and an even larger, highly acclaimed project recording the complete church music.