THE splendour of Durham Cathedral provided a perfect backdrop for the recreation of the coronation of King George II. In a mesmerising performance, the King's Consort transported a capacity audience back in time to savour the full pomp and ceremony of the pageant.

Robert King's eponymous group set out to recreate an authentic experience, drawing from contemporary accounts of the Westminster Service on October 11, 1727. The event on the day itself was imperfect, with musical confusion reigning and the printed order bearing little relation to what actually happened.

While for historical purists, the latter-day effort may not have been strictly accurate, the audience was left with a convincing flavour of the spectacle. The evening opened with a fanfare of trumpets echoing through the vast cathedral, followed by a procession of rolling drums leading to William Child's opening chorus O Lord Grant the King a Long Life. The programme included works from Henry Purcell, Thomas Tallis, John Farmer, John Blow and Orlando Gibbons. But the star was George Frideric Handel, who was commissioned to write the anthems for the coronation. His spectacular Grand Instrumental Procession filled the cavernous cathedral to the rafters.

A highlight was Handel's Zadok the Priest - performed at all subsequent coronations. The choir sailed with ease through the Gibbons' mighty Te Deum, while it took Handel's My Heart is Indicting to cosmic heights. It all ended as it began - with a hearty trumpet fanfare and receding drum procession. The audience was left with an true sense of occasion.

Published: 23/01/2004