‘It was during a sumptuous feast,’ the feast of Alexander the Great celebrating his victory over Persians. Celebrating, the leitmotif of this year’s Wratislavia Cantans is mentioned at the very beginning of Alexander’s Feast. The circumstances in which the piece was written were celebratory too, as are the circumstances of this concert.  
In Persepolis, the capital city just seized by Alexander, he celebrated his victory with his beloved Thais, soldiers, and Timothy, a Macedonian musician. The protagonists of Handel’s oratorio are real figures, and Timothy went down in history as an artist who knew how to influence Alexander with his music. The very title of the oratorio refers to the unusual impact of arts: Alexander’s Feast or the Power of Music. Handel composed the work to celebrate the day of St Cecilia, the patron of musicians, who is believed to have been able to play the organ. The oratorio shows two artists exercising the power of music – Timothy extolling the ruler and his transient power, and Cecilia serving God with her talent. 
Paul Goodwin, who will conduct Handel’s Alexander’s Feast, guarantees a wonderful concert. Maestro is the laureate of Handel Honorary Prize awarded to him by Halle, Handel’s city of birth. Goodwin has earned a reputation for his superb interpretations of early music, and his collaborations include 11 years as a conductor of the Academy of Ancient Music. Thanks to his inexhaustible energy, his concerts are very expressive, just as Timothy’s performances millennia ago. The concert, alongside world-famous soloists, features the Dresdner Kammerchor, deemed an ambassador of Dresden and Saxony and celebrating their 30th anniversary.  Handel is their signature repertoire. The Dresdner Kammerchor will be accompanied by Wrocław Baroque Orchestra, this year appreciated especially for their concerts with Handelian repertoire during the Handel Academy that took place at the National Forum of Music last February.