Joshua is one of four so-called 'victory' oratorios Handel composed in the late 1740s, which commemorate the defeat of the 1745-46 Jacobite Rebellion. It takes as its subject matter the biblical story of Joshua, who roused his people to a sequence of divinely aided victories. The oratorio remained a favorite with English and continental audiences until well after Handel's death. This recording, taken from live performances, features a superb cast of soloists supported by the FestspielOrchester Göttingen, conducted from the harpsichord by Laurence Cummings.