Music to start the weekend: Rule Brittania!

"Rule Britannia by London born composer Thomas Arne was the finale of the patriotic opera "Alfred" which was, obviously, about Alfred the Great, and was first performed in August 1740 (55 years after the death of Henry Purcell.)

The rest of the opera is rarely performed today, which is rather a shame as it contained some rather great music, but "Rule Britannia" soon became and has remained one of Britain's favourite and most stirring patriotic songs.

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