Dead March from Saul - G.F. Handel HWV. 53 - Daniel Roberts | Organist
Saul is a dramatic oratorio in three acts with a libretto by Charles Jennens. Taken from the First Book of Samuel, the story of Saul focuses on the first King of Israel’s relationship with his eventual successor, David - one which turns from admiration to envy and hatred, ultimately leading to the downfall of the eponymous monarch. The work, which Handel composed in 1738, includes the famous "Dead March", a funeral anthem for Saul and his son Jonathan following their deaths in the Battle of Mount Gilboa at the hands of the Philistines, and some of the composer's most dramatic choral pieces. Saul premiered successfully at the King’s Theatre in London on 16 January 1739, and was revived by Handel in subsequent seasons.
This arrangement by F. Cunningham Woods is taken from ‘The Village Organist’, which was compiled and composed for by F. Cunningham Woods and John Stainer.
Daniel Roberts | Organist
Recorded in St. Thomas’ Church, Stanhope