Tales of Love and Majesty: Handel and Coleridge-Taylor

• G.F. Handel: Coronation Anthems
• G.F. Handel: Ode for Queen Anne
• Samuel Coleridge-Taylor: A Tale of Old Japan

Handel wrote his four Coronation Anthems for the coronation of King George II and Queen Caroline in 1727.

A Tale of Old Japanwas the last choral piece Coleridge-Taylor wrote before his death in 1912 at the age of 37. His widow later wrote that he considered it his best cantata, preferring it over the more famous Hiawatha series. Yet it has almost never been played since its premiere.

The "Coronation Anthems" are quintessentially British, evoking themes of patriotism, loyalty, and national pride. "A Tale of Old Japan" explores themes of cultural identity, albeit from a different perspective. Through his music, Coleridge-Taylor, who was of mixed race, grappled with questions of identity and belonging, reflecting on his African heritage and British upbringing. "A Tale of Old Japan" represents Coleridge-Taylor's engagement with diverse cultural narratives and his efforts to reconcile different aspects of his own identity.