All for a Good Cause
Donald Macleod explores Handel's visit to Dublin, where patronage takes a new shape.
Donald Macleod ends the week in Dublin, where Handel’s relationship to patronage shifts decisively. Invited not by a traditional employer but by the Duke of Devonshire, he arrived to give a season of concerts that were as much about public benefit as artistic display. Here, patronage becomes less personal and more civic: performances raise funds, institutions benefit, and Handel’s music becomes the means through which generosity is organised and amplified. The premiere of Messiah sits at the centre of this, conceived on a grand scale but first heard in support of local charities.
Messiah: Sinfonia
Irish Baroque Orchestra
Peter Whelan, conductor
L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato: “Sweet bird”
Christine Brandes, soprano
Orchestre de Chambre de Paris
John Nelson, conductor
Imeneo: excerpts
Europa Galante
Fabio Biondi, conductor
Messiah, Part III: excerpts
Irish Baroque Orchestra
Irish Baroque Choir
Peter Whelan, conductor
Foundling Hospital Anthem: excerpts
Winchester Cathedral Choir
The Brandenburg Consort
David Hill, conductor
On radio
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Broadcast
- Fri 24 Jul 202616:00BBC Radio 3
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