Coronation music: the Akademie für Alte Musik and the RIAS Kammerchor under Justin Doyle come to our Great Hall with an extremely fitting programme. Pomp, splendour and glory were in demand when past rulers ascended the British throne – for example, George II, for whom Handel wrote his effective “Coronation Anthems” in 1727. Purcell also composed music for such ceremonies with the intention of elevating the mood in all the stalls. Handel’s “Occasional Oratorio” was written for a less cheerful occasion – it was intended to uplift London’s population after the bloody Jacobite Uprising.