The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba

Marked allegro and scored for two oboes and strings, this work is now usually performed separately as a concert piece, and as such has become one of Handel's most famous works. It's modern title was apparently bestowed on it by Sir Thomas Beecham; certainly, Handel did not use that title, the surviving wordbook simply calling it Sinfony. Though Solomon as a whole is today rarely performed, The Arrival of the Queen of Sheba has been a very popular piece through the 20th and 21st centuries, being, for example, frequently played at wedding ceremonies. It made a very prominent appearance in the 2012, being played during the opening ceremony of the London Olympic Games and another in 2023 as part of the coronation service of Charles III.George Frideric Handel (1685–1759) was a German-born composer of the Baroque era, famous for hisoperas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. From an early age Handel was a skillful performer on boththe harpsichord and pipe organ and went on to train in Halle, Hamburg and Italy before settling in London in 1712. He went on to become a naturalized British subject in 1727.

George Frideric Handel is generally spelled and usedin English-speaking countries, while in Germany he is better known as Georg Friedrich Händel. He was strongly influenced by the great composers of the Italian Baroque and the German choral tradition. Handel started three successful opera companies to supply the English nobility with Italian opera. In 1737 he became ill and had a physical breakdown. After this he changed direction creatively toward English oratorio and choral music based mainly on mythical and biblical themes. Almost blind, and having lived in England for almost fifty years, he died in 1759, a well respected and very rich man. His funeral was given full state honours, and he was buried in Westminster Abbey. Handel is widely regarded as one of the greatest composers of the Baroque era. Works such as "The Water Music", "Music for the Royal Fireworks" and "The Messiah" still remaining hugely popular. Of his four Coronation Anthems, "Zadok the Priest", composed for the coronation of King George II, has been performed at every subsequent British coronation. Handel composed more than forty operas in over thirty years, and since the late 1960s, with the revival of baroque music and original authentic period instrumentation, interest in Handel's operas has grown.

Jock McKenzie studied trumpet at the Royal Northern College of Music, Manchester where he was a joint recipient of the college’s concerto prize. From 1987 Jock based his musical career in Hampshire, working as a freelance trumpeter, conductor, composer, arranger and brass teacher. Jock is a former Professional Leader (Brass) for Hampshire Music Service and was the Director of the Hampshire County Youth Band from 2004 until 2020. It is the mix of all of these musical roles that has led to Jock establishing a reputation as a leading creator of brass music resources, particularly in the field of education and brass ensemble music. In 2020 Jock was awarded an “Honorary Fellowship of the University of Winchester” for services to music education. Currently Jock is working part-time for the Royal Welsh College of Music and Drama; providing tuition for their Brass Teaching Module. In 2024 Jock was given the award for “Services to Youth” by Brass Bands England.