William Hayes: Instrumental Music

Corelli Orchestra; Warwick Cole director

HTGCD 134 – 5060332663040

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William Hayes, an English composer of the Baroque period, was born in Gloucester and operated professionally in Oxford. For this reason perhaps, he did not enjoy quite the celebrity status of George Frideric Handel who was based in London. Assuming the post of organist at Magdalene College in 1734, he later became Professor of Music. He was a great advocate of Handel (as Handel was of his provincial contemporaries) but tended to compose in different genres – odes, chamber cantatas and vocal music. But it is the instrumental music of Hayes with which occupies this disc; concerti grossi, concertos and sinfonias. More Handelian territory perhaps, but Hayes brings a fresh and individual voice to these familiar forms.