Vox Luminis has scaled one of the summits of English music: the legend of King Arthur and his mentor the wizard Merlin inspired one of Henry Purcell’s most popular successes, King Arthur, a semi-opera on which Purcell lavished all his exuberant musical and theatrical inventiveness. In this revelatory new reading, the Vox Luminis vocal sound always perfectly matches the mix of choruses and highly characterized vocal solos. Prior to recording, the group presented the work in many semi-staged concerts, notably in Britain, where this Franco-Belgian ensemble has enjoyed enormous success, becoming one of the most respected European ambassadors for baroque music-making.

“It has been decades since a recording of any of Purcell’s operas as enjoyable as this.”

– Gramophone
 
 

“This King Arthur is a giddy triumph for its artists. Blazing their way through the score, the performers set a new benchmark, delivering a production that’s equally gutsy and gorgeous… “

– BBC Magazine
 
 

“Delightfully fresh and subtle in its musicianship… Vox Luminis fields a likeable array of mostly light, period voices, who live up to the enchantment of their setting.”

– Financial Times