The last, and greatest, of Purcell’s four Odes to the Christian saint, Hail! Bright Cecilia was composed to a text by Nicholas Brady in 1692 in honour of the feast day of Saint Cecilia, patron saint of musicians. It is a celebratory work comprised of masterful instrumental sections, majestic choruses and varied solos, duets and trios that will serve as a fitting close to the Festival. This work reveals the unparalleled richness of the composer’s musical invention and explains why, more than three hundred years later, Henry Purcell is still regarded as one of the Baroque period’s greatest composers.
