Handel's Dixit Dominus

Walton Voices

Following our sell-out performance of Sir Karl Jenkins’ The Armed Man, please join us for a vibrant choral spring concert, built around one of the great masterpieces of the Baroque: Handel’s Dixit Dominus. Written in 1707 when the composer was just 22 years old, this dazzling setting of Psalm 110 is filled with fiery choral writing, virtuosic solo passages and rhythmic brilliance. Intensely dramatic and unmistakably operatic in energy, Dixit Dominus showcases Handel at his most inventive and exuberant.

We then invite you to experience a contemporary reflection on the same psalm: as we sing a newly composed Dixit Dominus by Clive Osgood. Osgood’s music combines rhythmic vitality with expressive lyricism, offering a fresh and accessible companion piece that speaks compellingly to modern audiences while echoing the psalm’s timeless themes.

Our concert programme blends the familiar with the unexpected — choral favourites that draw us in, and musical discoveries that expand our horizons. We open by singing one of the most iconic anthems in the choral repertoire: Handel’s ‘Zadok the Priest’. Originally composed in 1727 for the coronation of King George II, it has been sung at the coronation of every British monarch ever since. With its slow-building, teasing introduction creating an air of anticipation before the triumphant choral entry this is sure to set a majestic tone for the afternoon.

Culminating our celebration of choral music old and new with the spine-tingling, joyful splendour of another beloved favourite, first commissioned for the coronation of Edward VII in 1902: Parry’s ‘I Was Glad’, we trust that the sweeping melodies and final, dramatic climax of this processional all-time great anthem will also leave you glad – that you came to this Walton Voices concert!