Continuing their acclaimed series of 'Bach's Contemporaries', The King's Consort and Robert King turn their attention to the astonishing sacred music of the remarkable Bohemian composer Jan Dismas Zelenka.

Colourful, complex, ornate, idiosyncratic, old-fashioned yet simultaneously forward-looking, Zelenka's music never ceases to amaze. This recording presents wonderfully varied and individual works. Two are substantial choral pieces: the Litaniae de Venerabili Sacramento shows Zelenka's more conventional, old-fashioned style of writing, yet the splendidly individual Invitatorium 'Regem, cui omnia vivunt' gives a powerful impression of Zelenka’s choral style in a unique fusion of modern, dramatic gestures of harmony, dynamics and scoring. Also part of the same Officium defunctorum were the three Lessons, which Zelenka scored for chamber forces. Here, instrumental colour in all its variety is to the fore, with the desolate texts enhanced by rare orchestral sounds including the soprano chalumeau, recorders and even muted oboes. Quirky in its orchestration too is the setting for soprano of Salve regina in A minor where Zelenka's accompaniment is shared by concertante flute, oboe, violin and a larger ensemble in a substantial solo motet, gloriously sung by Carolyn Sampson. The final work too is a delight, with the vocal scoring of Regina caeli laetare reserved for three upper voices who sing in true 'close harmony'.