In the festive countertenor duet, Sound the Trumpet, English Baroque composer Henry Purcell (1659-1695) did not use actual trumpets. Instead, he called upon the singers to imitate the regal, antiphonal calls of these “instruments of joy.”
First performed in April of 1694, this music is part of Come Ye Sons of Art, Z.323, the Ode for Queen Mary’s Birthday. The text is attributed to Nahum Tate, who served as poet laureate at the time. Sound the Trumpet rises over a spirited, two-measure modulating ground bass line.
Recorded in 2021 as part of the London International Festival of Early Music, this performance features mezzo-sopranos Rebecca Leggett and Elisabeth Paul. Accompanying are Richard Gowers (harpsichord), Rachel Kay (cello), and Ensemble Pro Victoria artistic director Toby Ward (chamber organ):
