for soprano solo and organ (or strings and organ continuo), with optional solo trumpet
This deeply expressive arioso, which opens Handel's Ode for the Birthday of Queen Anne (1713), was performed at the wedding of Prince Harry and Meghan Markle at St George's Chapel, Windsor, on 19 May 2018.
Originally scored in D major for counter-tenor, with trumpet and strings, the work is here arranged by John Rutter for performance by soprano and organ (or strings and organ continuo), with or without solo trumpet, in the slightly lower key of C major. The orchestral score and instrumental parts are available for purchase as a package containing (1) the orchestral score in C major, and (2) the instrumental parts (solo tpt, vln 1, vln 2, vla, vc, db, organ continuo) in two versions, in C major and D flat major. The D flat version of the parts is to enable performance with modern strings but natural trumpet, the trumpet playing in Handel's original key of D major but at baroque pitch (A = 415).
