Glorious Bodies

Artfully capturing yoga's vibrant spirit, Yoga Bodies presents full-color yoga-pose portraits of more than 80 practitioners of all ages, shapes, sizes, backgrounds, and skill levels—real people with real stories to share about how yoga has changed their lives for the better.

Wilhelmina Charlotte Caroline von Brandenburg-Ansbach was the wife of King George II of England. She knew Handel when he was a young man in Germany, benefited his career there, and in England stimulated works in which he had all cylinders firing. The Te Deum in D major, HWV 280, was written to mark her arrival in Britain after her father-in-law, George I, became king, and it's a well-known early Handel work written somewhat in the style of Purcell. The King Shall Rejoice, HWV 260, is a brief but splendid anthem written for the coronation of the new king and queen in 1727, and The Ways of Zion Do Mourn, HWV 264, was composed for the queen's funeral in 1737.

Queen Caroline was an emblematic female figure of the 18th century: the wife of King George II of England, a woman of great beauty, a champion of science and the arts, Caroline d’Ansbach was also the friend and patroness of Handel. The latter was entrusted with the solemn music composed for the grand ceremonies that marked the reign – be it «The King shall rejoice», given for the King’s coronation, the «Queen Caroline» Te Deum written for her own ascension to the throne, or «The Ways of Zion do mourn» performed at her funeral. This recording brings together, for the first time, three works underlining the strong link between the monarch and his favourite composer. This performance by the complete forces of the choir and orchestra of Les Arts Florissants brings to life these scores which are both flamboyant and brimming over with humanity.

Queen Caroline was an emblematic female figure of the 18th century: the wife of King George II of England, a woman of great beauty, a champion of science and the arts, Caroline d’Ansbach was also the friend and patroness of Handel. The latter was entrusted with the solemn music composed for the grand ceremonies that marked the reign – be it «The King shall rejoice», given for the King’s coronation, the «Queen Caroline» Te Deum written for her own ascension to the throne, or «The Ways of Zion do mourn» performed at her funeral. This recording brings together, for the first time, three works underlining the strong link between the monarch and his favourite composer. This performance by the complete forces of the choir and orchestra of Les Arts Florissants brings to life these scores which are both flamboyant and brimming over with humanity.