With their new album Handel's Chandos Anthems Musica Gloria confirms its place among today's most inspired interpreters of Baroque music. With this, their seventh album, the ensemble once again moves listeners with a recording in which warmth, precision, and inspiration flow together. Under the inspiring direction of Nele Vertommen and Beniamino Paganini, Handel sounds not like a composer from a distant past, but like a living voice full of light, emotion, and humanity.
The album, released by Et'cetera Records, brings together three works that form a compelling contrast. The Lord is my Light(Chandos Anthem No. 10, HWV 255) brims with praise and confidence. The music radiates openness: jubilant choirs, sparkling rhythms, and a vitality that inevitably sweeps you along. As Pants the Hart (Chandos Anthem No. 6, HWV 251b) forms the counterpoint to that light — an intimate meditation on longing, loss, and hope. The aria Tears are my daily food is a paragon of intimacy, while the duet Why so full of grief in its simplicity speaks straight to the heart.
Between the two anthems, the oboe concerto in B-flat major (HWV 302a) serves as a subtle link. The oboe, performed by Nele Vertommen herself, bridges the radiant optimism of the first anthem with the restrained depth of the second. The combination of soloistic flair and ensemble sensitivity makes this concerto a poetic resting point in the middle of the program.
The recording bears witness to a remarkable unity of sound and vision. The voices blend into a smooth, warm glow, the instruments sound clear and lively, and the whole breathes a natural musicality that remains both refined and spontaneous. The technical recording quality strengthens that sense of intimacy and clarity: one hears here not merely a performance, but a living dialogue between musicians and composer.
The booklet accompanying the CD is a valuable addition. The notes by emeritus professor Ignace Bossuyt place Handel's Chandos Anthems in their historical and musical context and eloquently express what makes this music so special: "Lyrical and dramatic arias alternate with intimate and brilliant choruses," he writes, and precisely that contrast forms the soul of this recording.
The two anthems heard here are part of a program that premiered in Hoegaarden in August 2023. In 2024, performances followed in Liège and in the Czech town of Ostrava, where the concert was even broadcast live on national television — a well-deserved international recognition of the artistic strength and presence of Musica Gloria.
The official presentation of Handel's Chandos Anthems takes place on Friday, October 31st at 8 PM in the Sint-Geertruikerk in Leuven. A perfect opportunity to experience this music, which contains as much heavenly light as human depth, live in the irresistible interpretation of Musica Gloria.
