What better way to celebrate music than to sing the praises of Sainte-Cécile, patron saint of musicians? «Viva ! Radiant Cécile, glory to you! O you, our protector and the protector of harmony!”

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It was in this spirit that a very special kind of festival flourished in London at the end of the 17th century : organised by music lovers, neither entirely secular nor entirely religious, they alternated between occasional odes, poems, antiphons, ser- mons... and banquets! And it was for the celebration of Saint Cecilia’s Day on 22 November 1692 that Purcell composed his most imposing and famous ode: Hail! Bright Cecilia - a work worthy of the occasion, with its orchestra of strings, oboes, flutes, trumpets and timpani, six-part choir and six solo singers.

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This programme, conceived in the spirit of these joyful and exuberant festivities puts a new light on one of Purcell’s finest works, accompanied by the poignant antiphon “Remember not, Lord, our offences”, sung by an a cappella choir. Enhanced by a semi-staging for the choir and the contribution of the great Shake- spearean actor Geoffrey Carrey, this concert is as much an invitation to immerse oneself in a 17th century world that delighted in celebrating the charms of music and harmony, as it is an exploration of the beauty of Henry Purcell’s music, through one of his most playful and emblematic compositions.