The Prince Regent’s Band takes its name from the early nineteenth-century elite wind ensemble known by the same name, a group known as “the Best in Europe”. This programme delves into the wide repertoire associated with the original ensemble and its later incarnations including transcriptions of works specially composed for the ensemble such as a suite by Beethoven’s protege Ferdinand Ries. Popular glees and catches from Regency Britain were a mainstay of the ensemble’s repertoire as were the works of George Frederick Handel. As fashionable society developed a taste for the emerging Italian operas of composers such as Rossini and Donizetti so did the original PRB incorporate these flamboyant works into their repertoire.

This concert has been made possible thanks to the generous support of the Continuo Foundation.