Handel: Silete venti, Gloria, Salve Regina – Vivaldi: Nulla in mundo pax sincera

With her pure, angelic voice, Grace Davidson is a perfect guide to a quartet of works by Handel and Vivaldi. There is both an innocence and intelligence to her singing that recalls the young Emma Kirkby. She can spin long lines without seeming to pause for breath. Handel’s secular Silete Venti makes a delightful introduction to the trio of sacred works, each with plenty of character and many opportunities for her silvery voice to glint. “Et in terra pax” in Handel’s Gloria is exquisitely beautiful as it soars heavenwards, while Vivaldi’s Nulla in mundo pax sincera quite simply melts the heart.