David (Macfarren)

George Alexander Macfarren's David draws on the life of the biblical King David. Its large choral design treats a major sacred subject through scenes involving David's leadership, faith, and conflict.

Macfarren completed David in 1883. It belongs to the late 19th-century English oratorio tradition, when substantial biblical choral works were written for concert societies and festivals.

The work is notable for ambitious choral writing rather than a small-scale devotional setting. Its scale reflects the Victorian taste for large forces and extended biblical narratives.

No. Macfarren's David is a separate late Victorian English oratorio by George Alexander Macfarren. It should not be confused with Handel's biblical oratorios or with other musical settings of David's life.