George Frideric Handel moved to London in 1712, and his music was to prove so influential that nothing would ever be quite the same again. The Italian-inspired operas, the royal commissions, and, of course, the oratorios brought a new, continental sea-change to the island.
Yet there had been a lively musical scene in England beforehand, and we'll look at English music before Handel with this week's program, featuring music by Henry Purcell, William Byrd, John Dowland, and a host of others.