The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba is the best known excerpt from Handel’s oratorio Solomon. When audience’s taste for opera waned somewhat, Handel turned to the creation of Old Testament-based oratorios in English, which were basically unstaged operas on Biblical themes, and which were a great success. This unforgettable music is regal, propulsive, light-hearted and, to 21st century ears, extremely familiar. Not only is it frequently chosen as a wedding march, but can also be found as a rington...

• The Arrival Of The Queen Of Sheba (Solomon)