For decades, the Philharmonia Baroque Orchestra & Chorale has maintained a laser-like focus on the music of the 18th century. There were occasional forays into the early Romantic period, and every once in a long while a glance toward modern life.
In recent years, however, the organization has embraced new music with the zeal of a convert, hiring Tarik O’Regan as its composer-in-residence and looking for other opportunities to use the sounds and techniques of period instruments to more contemporary ends.
The fruits of this shift are on display in the season-opening program, which features a pair of new works on the subject of the biblical creation story. One is “The Forms,” by British composer Errollyn Wallen, and the other is O’Regan’s “The Golden Measure.”
Countertenor Tim Mead joins the ensemble and Music Director Richard Egarr for a program that also includes an array of excerpts from Handel’s operas and oratorios.