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Home , Anna Maria Strada, Chandos Anthems, George Frideric Handel, Giulia Frasi, Laurence Cummings, Little Stanmore

Tuesday 2 April p 23 Saturday 13 April p 16 Dear Fellow Handelians, Diary Organ Concert Stabat Mater Sunday 14 April p 24 The 2019 Handel Festival takes ‘Handel’s Divas’ as its theme and will explore Wednesday 3 April p 22 Festival Prelude Guided walk: Smithfield the lives of the famous female singers, the ‘divas’ of their day, who were associated Lunchtime Recital – RCM Thursday 22 November p 4 with Handel and for whom he wrote many of his most famous roles. We pay tribute Sunday 14 April p 17

© Chris Christodoulou Wednesday 3 April p 11 to the women who inspired and gave life to Handel’s , captured the popular HSC Finalists Showcase Music for Palm Sunday Aci, Galatea e imagination and occasionally caused riots amongst their rival supporters, filling the Saturday 24 November p 4 Tuesday 16 April p 23 gossip pages of newspapers at the time! Handel at Thursday 4 April p 22 Mayfair Organ Concert The highlight of this year’s festival is , our debut at the newly refurbished 4–9 December p 5 Lunchtime Recital – Tuesday 16 April p 18 Linbury Studio at the Royal House, which has not been heard there since Unknown, Remembered… Lauren Lodge-Campbell Handel Revenged Handel presented it in 1737. Other major events include performances of the rarely Thursday 6 & Friday 14 December p 5 heard and serenata Aci, Galatea and Polifemo. Thursday 4 April p 24 Friday 19 April p 18 St Matthew Passion (Bach) We welcome for the first time Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu from Lyon with a ravishing Guided walk: Tuesday 22 January p 6 programme of Handel and Porpora, and Festival Voices with their surprising remix Saturday 6 April p 8 Tuesday 23 April p 23 of . We welcome back Opera Settecento with Venceslao, along with Handel Singing Competition Final Mayfair Organ Concert London Early Opera and who each present programmes Monday 28 January p 6 Tuesday 23 April p 18 Monday 8 April p 24 SAMIR SAVANT FESTIVAL DIRECTOR focused on specific Handelian divas. These performances sit alongside the usual The Voice of a Diva The Goldberg Variations packed calendar of intimate chamber music recitals, lunchtime concerts, guided Guided walk: St James’s Tuesday 5 March p 8 Wednesday 24 April p 23 walks and the annual international Handel Singing Competition, now in its 18th year. HSC Semi-Final Monday 8 April p 12 Lunchtime Recital – Emma Stannard Back by popular demand is our ‘Come and Sing’ event, a wonderful opportunity to Handel vs Porpora perform Messiah excerpts with our Musical Director, . Wednesday 24 April p 19 Before the main Festival begins, we have a wealth of events in our ‘Festival Prelude’, Main Festival Tuesday 9 April p 23 Handel and the Rival Queens Promoted by the London Handel Society Ltd Wednesday 27 March p 22 Mayfair Organ Concert Charity number 269184 including Alcina with La Nuova Musica and an insight discussion on divas with Thursday 25 April p 24 leading voice experts. Lunchtime Recital – Guildhall School Wednesday 10 April p 22 Guided walk: Westminster We are a small arts organisation, with big ambition, and our aim is to bring the glory 27 March – 7 April p 7 Lunchtime Recital – Daniel Mullaney Thursday 25 April p 16 PATRONS of Handel’s music to larger audiences. Please encourage your music-loving friends Berenice Music for a Queen DAME Wednesday 10 April p 13 CBE to come to the 2019 Festival; once you have booked your tickets, you may want to Thursday 28 March p 9 Friday 26 April p 20 Chandos pass on this brochure. Please also consider joining as a Handel Supporter (see page Mr Handel’s Scholars Venceslao LAURENCE CUMMINGS MUSICAL DIRECTOR 26) as ticket sales cover less than 40% of our costs, and we therefore rely on your ADRIAN BUTTERFIELD ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR Sunday 31 March p 10 Thursday 11 April p 14 Saturday 27 April p 17 RICHARD HOPKIN CHAIRMAN, LONDON HANDEL SOCIETY generosity for our continued success. Come and Sing: Messiah ‘Costly Canaries’ We look forward to welcoming you to the Festival in 2019! Handel’s Rival Divas Monday 1 April p 22 Friday 12 April p 15 Monday 29 April p 21 Cover image: School of , portrait of George Samir Savant Frideric Handel, 1737 © Gerald Coke Handel Foundation Festival Director Lunchtime Recital – Helen Charlston Handel Remixed Athalia Thursday 6 December, 7pm Unknown, Remembered… ST GEORGE’S, SQUARE We have a significant number of events happening in the months leading up to the Festival this year, presented in the An immersive hybrid of opera, theatre and art installation form of a ‘Festival Prelude’. Booking for these concerts opens on Monday 1 October 2018. Messiah HWV 56 Tuesday 4 December, 8pm Thursday 22 November, 7.30pm Saturday 24 November, 7.30pm Wednesday 5 December, 8pm Our annual performance of Messiah is now a firm fixture ST GEORGE’S, HANOVER SQUARE ST LAWRENCE, LITTLE Friday 7 December, 8pm in the Christmas calendar. Simon Williams will conduct the Sunday 9 December, 2pm and 5pm of St George’s, the London Handel and star soloists, including three past finalists of the Handel HSC Finalists Showcase Handel at Cannons STUDIO 9294, WALLIS RD, LONDON E9 5LN Singing Competition. Our annual showcase of the finalists from the Handel Singing Handel Chandos No. 10, The Lord is my light HWV 255 LAUREN LODGE-CAMPBELL soprano Competition takes place earlier than usual this year, on St Cecilia’s Handel Chandos HWV 281 ALEXANDRA GIBSON mezzo-soprano Day, appropriately (she is the patron saint of music). We bring you We are pleased to promote this ground-breaking project with our Adrian Butterfield, our Associate Director, has built a reputation partner Spitalfields Music, which follows the smash-hit success ALEXANDER SPRAGUE the usual mouth-watering selection of Handel and other for performing the works Handel wrote during his time at the TREVOR BOWES - sung by four prize-winners from the 2018 Competition. of its RPS Award-winning Schumann Street in 2017 with another Cannons estate in an authentic manner – for solo voices in the way immersive, site-specific production. SIMON WILLIAMS conductor Se bramate d’amar chi vi sdegna HWV 40 Handel originally intended, and in the sumptuous Georgian church LONDON HANDEL ORCHESTRA Tu se il cor HWV 17 where they were first performed. Handel was a guest of James Unknown, Remembered interweaves Handel’s brilliant operatic CHOIR OF ST GEORGE’S, HANOVER SQUARE O care parolette HWV 31 Brydges, who became the Duke of Chandos and commissioned the scena La Lucrezia, Shiva Feshareki’s new setting of Vedi l’ape che ingegnosa Berenice HWV 38 composer to write eleven anthems and a Te Deum. lyrics from seminal Joy Division album Unknown Pleasures, and TICKETS: £55, £45, £40, £15, £12 reserved seating Che vai pensando, folle pensier HWV 184 Our concert will feature four internationally recognised soloists, Haroon Mirza’s film installation The Last Tape to create a unique Price Category A Scoglio d’immota fronte HWV 20 in addition to short talks by leading Handel expert Graydon Beeks site-specific production. Through soprano Katherine Manley, we Tra sospetti, affetti, e timori HWV 19 and organ restorer Dominic Gwynne. A newly issued CD of the experience a woman haunted by the memory of tragedy, in an Volate più dei venti HWV 13 works to be performed at the concert will be on sale at the event. We are delighted to announce an additional performance Where shall I fly? HWV 60 immersive piece which features fellow Schumann Street artist, Love in her eyes sits playing; As when the dove; GRACE DAVIDSON soprano Liam Byrne, with acclaimed actor Richard Strange. of Messiah this Christmas on Friday 14 December, Happy we! HWV 49 tenor with the London Handel Orchestra again, this time with NICHOLAS MULROY tenor TICKETS: £10 – £25 Fort conducting the talented young musicians of LAUREN LODGE-CAMPBELL soprano BENEDICT HYMAS tenor King’s College London in the splendid Victorian chapel at EMMA STANNARD mezzo-soprano EDWARD GRINT baritone For further information and to book tickets, DANIEL MULLANEY tenor King’s. Tickets are £25 for unreserved seating and you please visit www.spitalfieldsmusic.org.uk ED BALLARD bass-baritone ADRIAN BUTTERFIELD conductor can book via our Box Office or online in the usual way. LAURENCE CUMMINGS LONDON HANDEL ORCHESTRA TICKETS: £12 (£10 Friends – see page 26) unreserved seating TICKETS: £25 unreserved seating 4 5 Tuesday 22 January, 7pm Monday 28 January, 7pm 27, 29 March, 1, 2, 4, 5 April, 7pm; 30 March, 6.30pm; 7 April, 2pm ST JOHN’S SMITH SQUARE ROYAL SOCIETY OF MEDICINE LINBURY STUDIO, Alcina HWV 34 The Voice of a Diva BERENICE HWV 38 Alcina Handel’s divas were the leading singers of their day, with Sparks fly in a new production of Handel’s Berenice. Presented in PATRICK TERRY Ruggiero busy careers and adored by their followers, but what a new English translation, Adele Thomas’s production pits two REBECCA BOTTONE Morgana was it like for them to sing such bravura repertoire so strong women against princes and each other in a battle of love MADELEINE SHAW Bradamante often? How were they trained, how they did cope with and politics that transcends its Georgian setting. CHRISTOPHER TURNER Oronte the demanding workload, and did their voices suffer? Berenice was written for the Covent Garden Theatre, and it WILLIAM BERGER Melisso We will examine these issues and gain insights into the returns to the site for the first time since its premiere in 1737. difficulties that opera singers faced in Handel’s time Baroque specialist Laurence Cummings conducts the London BATES director and continue to face today in a chaired discussion with LA NUOVA MUSICA Handel Orchestra in this intriguingly theatrical production. two leading experts in the field. Richard Wistreich is The role of Berenice will be announced on our website. La Nuova Musica presents one of Handel’s most Director of Research at the Royal College of Music, a spellbinding . For the first time ever, former professional singer, and a music historian with RACHAEL LLOYD Selene Handel’s masterpiece will be presented as a a particular interest in vocal performance in Europe JACQUELYN STUCKER bilingual performance with the Italian between 1500 and 1800. Declan Costello is a Consultant JAMES LAING Demetrio sitting alongside a newly commissioned script Ear, Nose and Throat Surgeon specialising in voice PATRICK TERRY Arsace narrated in English. disorders; he is based in London and Wexham Park WILLIAM BERGER Aristobolo The sorceress, Alcina, is overlord of a mysterious (Slough) and works with many professional singers. and enchanted island, inhabited by the souls of her past lovers, now LAURENCE CUMMINGS conductor embodied as animals, rocks, trees and streams. The stage is set with the All attendees are welcome to join us after the chaired SELMA DIMITRIJEVIC translation arrival of Alcina’s latest victim, Ruggiero, in her captivating realm. In hot discussion for a drinks reception to continue the debate. ADELE THOMAS director pursuit is Ruggiero’s cross-dressing fiancée, Bradamante, and former HANNAH CLARK designer tutor, Melisso, in possession of a magic ring – the key to infiltrating Alcina’s TICKETS: £8 unreserved seating LONDON HANDEL ORCHESTRA kingdom. A plot thick with twists and turns, fairies and wild beasts, the drama of Handel’s score will be brought to life by an all-star cast under the Please note that tickets for this event should be booked TICKETS: £7 – £45 direction of David Bates. directly through the Royal Society of Medicine’s events Tickets for Berenice should be booked directly via the TICKETS: £55, £45, £30, £20 department either by telephone on 020 7290 3855 or Royal Opera House at www.roh.org.uk or on 020 7304 Special booking arrangements apply: online at www.rsm.ac.uk/events 4000. General booking opens on Wednesday 30 see General Information on page 25 for details January 2019. Handel Supporters and Friends will be Co-promoted by St John’s Smith Square sent a special code to access priority booking; for and details on how to join our scheme, see page 26. Image by AKA (© ROH 2018) 6 7 Thursday 28 March, 7.30pm Handel was known to HANDEL SINGING ST GEORGE’S, HANOVER SQUARE encourage young singers, many of whom became his star soloists and were known COMPETITION Mr Handel’s Scholars as ‘Mr Handel’s Scholars’. We continue his great tradition of Concert featuring alumni of the Handel Singing Competition Tuesday 5 March, 6pm (please note date and time) nurturing young talent through GROSVENOR CHAPEL SORAYA MAFI soprano our annual Handel Singing FFLUR WYN soprano Competition, which is now in Semi-Final KATIE BRAY mezzo-soprano its 18th year. This concert is EWA GUBANSKA mezzo-soprano an opportunity to celebrate Following the closed first round of the competition, the dozen or so semi-finalists the success of the competition come together for their first public performance, accompanied by harpsichord. LAURENCE CUMMINGS conductor and to hear four past finalists They each sing for 15 minutes in an all-Handel programme and the adjudicators LONDON HANDEL ORCHESTRA who have gone on to major will put five or six singers through to the final. The panel includes internationally international careers. This acclaimed singers Ian Partridge, Catherine Denley and Michael George. ; What though I trace; Bless’d the day; year, in keeping with our Welcome as the dawn HWV 67 ‘Handel’s Divas’ theme, we TICKETS: £15 (free to students with ID) unreserved seating Prophetic raptures HWV 59 have four higher voices in an Priva son d’ogni conforto Giulio Cesare HWV 17 all-Handel programme which Saturday 6 April, 7pm Oh sleep, why dost thou leave me?; Myself I shall adore focuses on works created for ST GEORGE’S, HANOVER SQUARE HWV 58 and sung by three of Handel’s favourite female singers: Where shall I fly? Hercules HWV 60 , and Fury, with red sparkling eyes; Mighty love now calls to Final Elisabeth du Parc. Come and hear the very best emerging talent in one of the world’s arm HWV 65 leading singing competitions. Past finalists of the Handel Singing Combattuta da due venti HWV 39 Pre-performance talk (free Competition have included Lucy Crowe and ; see if you Consolati, o bella Orlando HWV 31 admission with concert ticket) can spot a star of tomorrow. All of the finalists are required to prepare To thee, thou glorious son of worth HWV 68 6.30 – 7.15pm: one of the greatest Handel singers of our time, Alice an all-Handel programme and are accompanied by the London Handel Bramo aver mille vite & excerpts from Ballet Suite Orchestra, directed by Laurence Cummings. Coote, discusses Handel’s women HWV 33 and her experience of portraying both his male and female TICKETS: £45, £40, £35, £15, £12 reserved seating TICKETS: £40, £35, £30, £12, £10 reserved seating Price Category B characters with The Times’ Price Category C critic Anna Picard. Sponsored by Prof. Schumann GmbH 8 9 10 editions are acceptable. Please note singers must bringtheirown scores -all TICKETS: £25 for singers; £5for concert only 7.30pm 5 –6.30pm 4 –5pm 2 –4pm work. We willbeaccompanied by Belsize Baroque. eveningbe anhour-long performance for friendsandfamily to appreciate allyour hard place inSt George’s, Hanover Square, Handel’s own parish church inMayfair, andthere will participants to beableto sight read andhave some choral experience. The event willtake Our ‘Come andSing’events are always popularandallare welcome, althoughwe doask choral masterpiece inadvance to helpyou prepare. including thefamous ‘Hallelujah!’chorus. You willreceive regular tips andinsights into this musical director, Laurence Cummings. We willwork ourway through excerpts from Messiah Come andexperience thejoy of singingHandelundertheinspirational leadership of our Come andSing:Messiah ST GEORGE’S, HANOVER SQUARE Sunday 31 March, from 2pm Concert for friends andfamily Orchestra andchoir Orchestra andsoloists only Choir only

© Anton Säckl Special bookingarrangements apply:see General Information onpage 25 for details TICKETS: £45, £42, £40, £35, £25 LONDON HANDEL ORCHESTRA ADRIAN BUTTERFIELDconductor EDWARD GRINT ANNA HUNTLEY ANNA DENNIS demanding, buttherange required of thebass of whosingsthepart istrulyremarkable, covering two andahalfoctaves! version for theDuke of Chandos andisnotable for thevariety of Handel’s invention aswell asits colourful scoring. Allthree roles are Polifemo, which he wrote in in June 1708 as a celebratory for a wedding. This work is completely different from the 1718 Having staged Handel’s Englishversion of theAcis and Galatea story in2018, we now present hisearlier Italian version Aci, Galatea e Aci, Galatea ePolifemo HWV72 WIGMORE HALL Wednesday 3April,7.30pm Polifemo Galatea Aci

© Kaupo Kikkas

© Jan Rebuschat Sponsored by Darwin Escapes 11 Monday 8 April, 7.30pm Wednesday 10 April, 7.30pm ST GEORGE’S, HANOVER SQUARE ST LAWRENCE,

© Jean Combier © Jean Handel vs Porpora In January 1733, wishing to counter the dominance of both Handel and his Royal Chandos Anthem No. 7, My song shall be alway HWV 252 Academy of Music, a group of London nobles set up the with Chandos Anthem No. 11, Let God arise HWV 256a , who was considered more modern, as the musical director. He arrived in London with one major asset: he was the ‘ maestro’. , Il ADRIAN BUTTERFIELD conductor and Il Porporino were all trained by Porpora and, on arrival in London, LONDON HANDEL ORCHESTRA received a frenzied welcome worthy of today’s pop stars. Both opponents engaged soloists from the Royal College of Music in a battle to the death. Both opera houses went bankrupt, with the associates losing thousands of pounds. Only the audience emerged triumphant as this crazy The medieval church of St Lawrence, Little Stanmore, was four-year period was attended by some of the greatest masterpieces and inventive given a spectacular rebuild in 1716 by James Brydges, owner of works of the repertoire. the Cannons estate who became the Duke of Chandos in 1719. An enormously wealthy man due to his years as paymaster- We welcome acclaimed French group Le Concert de l’Hostel Dieu to the London general of His Majesty’s Forces during the War of the Handel Festival for the first time, together with Giuseppina Bridelli, a 21st-century Spanish Succession, Brydges also rebuilt Cannons and set charismatic diva whose mezzo-soprano timbre is profound and luxurious. Their up a musical establishment at the house inviting Handel to compose 11 anthems and a Te Deum for performance at programme alternates music from Handel and Porpora: a peaceful and exquisite St Lawrence’s Church 300 years ago. Adrian Butterfield encounter featuring some of the finest lyrical of the , including continues his cycle of performing these works with ‘Scherza infida’ Ariodante, ‘Brilla nell’alma’ Alessandro and ‘Stille amare’ the intimate forces for which Handel wrote them and arias from Porpora’s Polifemo, alongside the Overture to Semele and with three talented young singers from the Royal from Alcina. College of Music.

LE CONCERT DE L’HOSTEL DIEU TICKETS: £25 unreserved seating FRANCK-EMMANUEL COMTE harpsichord & director GIUSEPPINA BRIDELLI mezzo-soprano

TICKETS: £35, £30, £25, £10, £8 reserved seating Price Category C

© Francesco Squeglia © Francesco Full programme available on our website www.london-handel-festival.com Sponsored by Darwin Escapes 12 13 Thursday 11 April, 7.30pm Musical delights for the 300th anniversary of Handel’s Royal Friday 12 April, 7.30pm ST GEORGE’S, HANOVER SQUARE Academy of Music include: VILLAGE UNDERGROUND Quando mai, spietata sorte; Ombra cara di mia ‘Costly Canaries’ sposa HWV 12 Handel Remixed Mr Handel’s Search for Super-Stars Dimmi, crudele Amore Muzio Scevola HWV 13 Dixit Dominus HWV 232 Notte cara, deh! riportami’l mio ben HWV 14 By 1719, so great was London’s thirst for Opera Festival Voices make their London Handel Festival that its devotees formed a company to keep All’orror d’un duolo eterno HWV 15 debut with Handel Remixed, an evening of music by Handel and his contemporaries featuring a brand them coming: The . Chief Non credo instabile HWV 16 among its subscribers was King George and in new version of Dixit Dominus, reimagined for live charge was the undisputed King of Opera in Priva son d’ogni conforto; La giustizia ha già sull’arco Giulio Cesare performers and DJ by producer Nico London – . With Academy HWV 17 Bentley and the Pencil Collective.

funds, Handel set off for the continent, returning Scherza in mar la navicella Lotario HWV 26 with a clutch of singing super-stars – his ‘costly Following their recent collaborations at Wilderness, Latitude and at the Southbank Centre, Festival Voices’ canaries’, including the three divas on whom we L’amor ed il destin HWV 27 latest cross-genre programme will shed new light on focus in this programme. Audiences were ecstatic Padre, germano, e sposo di voi HWV 30 one of Handel’s most breathtaking and electrifying but, as tensions erupted and finances dwindled, Cease, ruler of the day, to rise Hercules HWV 60 works. With live baroque ensemble, 18 singers and opera mania persisted and the Second Academy a wicked dose of playfulness, Handel Remixed will was formed, headed again by Handel, now challenge conventions, surprise the senses and inspire accompanied by Heidegger. A musical ‘happening’ HANNAH POULSOM the imagination in ways the composer would no doubt in Handel’s own church follows Handel the MARIE ELLIOTT have utterly relished. composer-impresario, as he outflanks the decline ANNA GORBACHYOVA del Pò of opera to emerge King of Oratorio. GREGORY BATSLEER conductor LONDON EARLY OPERA NICO BENTLEY + THE PENCIL COLLECTIVE During the Festival there will be a special display in the BRIDGET CUNNINGHAM harpsichord & director producer/DJ Handel gallery at the , ‘Women of NICOLETTE MOONEN leader Note’, featuring some of the women who made Handel’s LARS THARP narrator TICKETS: £20 unreserved seating music famous. Normal museum admission applies. TICKETS: £35, £30, £25, £10, £8 reserved seating Price Category C

Steve Vidler/Alamy Stock Photo Stock Vidler/Alamy Steve Portrait of Anna Maria Strada del Pò by Johann Verelst

14 15 Saturday 13 April, 7.30pm Thursday 25 April, 7pm Saturday 27 April, 7.30pm Sunday 14 April, 2.30pm & 4pm BAROQUE ST GEORGE’S, HANOVER SQUARE KING’S COLLEGE CHAPEL, LONDON ST GEORGE’S, HANOVER SQUARE THE CHARTERHOUSE FEAST Stabat Mater Music for a Queen Handel’s Rival Divas Two of the major artistic aims of the Music for Palm Sunday London Handel Festival are to explore Vivaldi for strings in Handel Ode for the Birthday of Queen Handel Overture; Let the bright Seraphim; Handel in context by presenting works G minor RV 157 Anne, HWV 74 Return O God HWV 57 Handel Flute Concerto in G minor HWV 287 by his contemporaries, and to nurture Corelli Op. 6 No. 10 Handel ‘Utrecht’ Te Deum & Jubilate, Vivaldi Concerto for 2 flutes, 2 and 2 in D Handel HWV deest and encourage young and unknown in C major HWV 278 & 279 minor RV 566 for soprano and strings talent, as Handel himself did. We Vivaldi ‘Al Santo Sepolcro’ in We welcome back the Choir of King’s Rameau Suite from Naïs RCT 49 Bach Cantata: Himmelskönig, sei willkommen BWV 182 combine both in our ‘festival within a Eb major RV 130 College London, following the success of Geminiani Concerto Grosso No. 5 in G minor after Corelli festival’ of , promoting Handel Concerto Grosso Op. 6 No. 6 their Festival debut in 2018 in a programme Handel Sweet bird L’Allegro, il Penseroso ed il LONDON HANDEL PLAYERS three exceptionally talented groups of HWV 324 in G minor associated with royal ‘divas’. Handel’s Ode Moderato HWV 55 ADRIAN BUTTERFIELD director Handel He was despised; He shall feed his flock RACHEL BROWN flute young musicians and all for the very Pergolesi Stabat Mater for the Birthday of Queen Anne is a true affordable price of just £15! fusion of styles – the English practice of Messiah HWV 56 soloists from the Royal College of Music We are delighted to be working for the odes for royal occasions, the structure of Arne Overture first time with educational charity Pro the German cantata, and the lyric writing of In the historic setting of the Great Chamber at the Charterhouse, Corda, as they celebrate 50 years of . The Queen paid little attention Southbank , an orchestra of outstanding young the London Handel Players are joined by talented young singers the finest chamber music training. Their to the work when Handel presented it to her professionals, returns to the Festival alongside the winner from the Royal College of Music in this exquisite hour-long programme features the work of the in February 1713, but Handel’s Ode enjoys and runner-up of the 2018 Handel Singing Competition in programme of chamber music, including Bach’s cantata specifically Italian masters along with Handel, and rather more royal approval now, its first a programme exploring the lives of two of Handel’s divas, written for Palm Sunday. they are joined by two past finalists of the movement forming the opening music of who were rivals in real life – and Susannah Cibber. Handel Singing Competition to perform the 2018 wedding of the Duke and Duchess Both women premiered some of the best loved Handel arias The Charterhouse is one of London’s great survivors, with over Pergolesi’s sublime Stabat Mater. of Sussex. The Ode is paired with Handel’s and became famous as exponents of the English oratorio. 660 years of history to its name. Over the centuries, it has been a monastery, a great Tudor mansion and a charity, functioning Musicians from PRO CORDA Te Deum and Jubilate, also written in 1713 to SOUTHBANK SINFONIA both as an almshouse and school, and charitable work remains the ADRIAN BUTTERFIELD director celebrate the Peace of Utrecht. ADRIAN BUTTERFIELD director Charterhouse’s main purpose, offering a community for elderly LISA RIJMER soprano CHOIR OF KING’S COLLEGE, LONDON LAUREN LODGE-CAMPBELL soprano people in financial and social need. Tickets to the performance will JUNGKWON JANG JOSEPH FORT conductor HELEN CHARLSTON mezzo-soprano include a post-recital guided tour by one of the resident brothers. TICKETS: £15 unreserved seating TICKETS: £15 unreserved seating TICKETS: £15 unreserved seating TICKETS: £25 unreserved seating

16 17 Florilegius/Alamy Stock Photo Friday 19 April, 2.30pm Wednesday 24 April, 7.30pm Handel at Home ST GEORGE’S, HANOVER SQUARE ST JOHN’S SMITH SQUARE We are delighted to present two hour-long harpsichord recitals at Bach Handel’s own home in Brook Street, part of the Handel & Hendrix Handel and the Rival Queens in London museum. St Matthew Two feisty modern-day sopranos take on the roles of the great rival divas of Handel’s London operas of the , Francesca Cuzzoni and . Handel’s constant struggle to make Italian opera both financially and socially stable led him to one of his most intriguing, Tuesday 16 April, 6.30pm Passion risky, and ultimately downright disastrous ideas. Why have one prima donna when you can Handel Revenged BWV 244 have two? An opera company with two prima donnas was never going to be plain sailing… MASUMI YAMAMOTO harpsichord Join us and find out just what happened to these ‘Rival Queens’ before, during and after NATHAN VALE Evangelist & tenor their reigns in London, as our programme of arias, duets, and is interspersed with Handel was famous for making quotations of musical material from other GEORGE HUMPHREYS & bass readings from letters, newspapers, and satirical writings from those turbulent years. composers in his own works. Gottlieb Muffat (1690–1770) responded by ERICA ELOFF soprano ‘improving’ Handel’s Eight Great Suites and making revisions to the great CHRISTOPHER AINSLIE countertenor We welcome back Early Opera Company after their stunning debut in the 2018 Festival. Their master’s works. programme will include: LAURENCE CUMMINGS conductor Gottlieb Muffat Suite No. 1 in C major MC A13 from Componimenti LONDON HANDEL ORCHESTRA Overtures to Ottone HWV 15, Alessandro HWV 2, HWV 22 and Polifemo (Porpora) Musicali (1739) ADRIAN BUTTERFIELD leader Lusinghe più care; Che tirannia d’Amor!; Placa l’alma, quieta il petto Alessandro HWV 21 Handel/Muffat Suite No. 2 in F major HWV 427 CHOIR OF ST GEORGE’S, HANOVER SQUARE Che sento?... Se pietà Giulio Cesare HWV 17 Muffat Ciacona in G major MC A19 from Componimenti Musicali Spietati, io vi giurai Rodelinda HWV 19 Handel/Muffat Suite No. 4 in E minor HWV 429 Join us for our popular annual performance of Qual tempesta d’affetti… Son qual misera colomba Cleofide (Hasse) Bach’s St Matthew Passion, sung in German and Tuesday 23 April, 6.30pm as part of the Good Friday Vespers service. This MHAIRI LAWSON Faustina Bordoni The Goldberg Variations is a rare opportunity to experience the work ELEANOR DENNIS Francesca Cuzzoni in its original liturgical context, complete with ROBIN BIGWOOD harpsichord sermon and congregational hymns. director Bach’s definitive, magical statement on the theme and variations form, building EARLY OPERA COMPANY on similar works by his predecessors while exploring new and uncharted TICKETS: territories in style and musical design. £55, £45, £40, £15, £12 reserved seating Price Category A TICKETS: £38, £29, £22, £15 Bach The ‘Goldberg’ Variations BWV 988 Francesca Cuzzoni Sandoni and Special booking arrangements apply: see General Information on page 25 for details TICKETS: £12 unreserved seating Signora Faustina Bordoni 18 19 Friday 26 April, 7pm Monday 29 April, 7.30pm ST GEORGE’S, HANOVER SQUARE ST JOHN’S SMITH SQUARE Venceslao HWV A4 Athalia HVW 52 Handel directed the first performance of Venceslao at the Haymarket Theatre in 1731, the ANNA DEVIN Athalia, Queen of Judah same season as the premiere of his own opera . He had received Apostolo Zeno’s popular GRACE DAVIDSON Josabeth, Wife of Joad libretto from in 1726, intending it for Faustina’s debut with the Royal Academy, but in the RUPERT ENTICKNAP Joad, High Priest end programmed Alessandro. The libretto was shelved until Rossi, the Academy’s librettist, ANTHONY GREGORY Mathan, Priest of Baal had abridged Venceslao for the London audience, reducing it from five acts to three. The plot CHRISTIAN IMMLER Abner, Captain of the Jewish Forces features love rivals at the Polish court, a queen in disguise, and mistaken identity. It is the third Treble from Joas, King of Judah in a series of three pasticcii revived from the manuscripts by Leo Duarte for Opera Settecento and performed in a co-operation between the London and Handel Festivals. Handel’s cast LAURENCE CUMMINGS conductor Anna Devin included Senesino, Fabri, Merighi and La Strada. Opera Settecento’s cast features two former LONDON HANDEL ORCHESTRA London Handel Singing Competition prizewinners, as well as the 2018 winner, Helen Charlston. LONDON HANDEL SINGERS

‘Nearly 300 years later it’s still a winning formula, especially when performed by the ever- Like his of the previous year (and performed in the 2018 Festival), Handel’s third English oratorio is based on stylish band of Opera Settecento under Leo Duarte.’ The Arts Desk on Ormisda a powerful choral play by Racine. Athalia dramatises the Old Testament story of the true prince miraculously saved ‘Michał Czerniawski... has a beautiful, homogeneous tone and a solid technique for addressing from annihilation and spectacularly revealed to the wicked queen Athalia, eclipsing her tyranny and apostasy and florid music. He was an ideal and noble hero... with Duarte coaxing a touching and effective asserting the kingship line which is to lead to the Messiah. timbre from the orchestra.’ Parterre on To newly flexible and thrilling effect, Handel integrates his genius for convincing character portrayal and his mastery NICK PRITCHARD Venceslao of varied chorus writing. Exciting fluctuations of emotions and contrasts of textures, a grippingly suspenseful plot, MICHAŁ CZERNIAWSKI Casimiro characteristically rich and sensitive orchestration, and a cast of individuals sharply delineated and differentiated – HELEN CHARLSTON Lucinda from an innocent six-year-old to a termagant grandmother – make Athalia (in the words of Handel authority Winton

GALINA AVERINA Erenice © Nick James Dean) truly ‘the first great English dramatic oratorio’. MARIA OSTROUKHOVA Ernando CHRISTOPHER JACKLIN Gismondo & Alessandro TICKETS: £55, £45, £30, £20

LEO DUARTE director Special booking arrangements apply: see General Information on page 25 for details ORCHESTRA OF OPERA SETTECENTO Pre-performance talk by Ruth Smith (free admission with concert ticket) from 6.15 – 7pm TICKETS: £45, £40, £35, £15, £12 reserved seating Price Category B Nick Pritchard 20 21 Lunchtime Recitals ST GEORGE’S, HANOVER SQUARE, 1pm TICKETS: £10 unreserved seating Wednesday 24 April Our lunchtime recitals showcase finalists from the 2018 Handel Singing Competition, as well as the very best talent from London conservatoires. EMMA STANNARD (finalist) We need your help... What better way could there be to spend your lunch hour? Our intimate recitals are held in the splendid Georgian church of St George’s, Hanover Handel Awake, Saturnia... Hence, Iris, hence away Semele HWV 58 In addition to giving valuable philanthropic support Square, Handel’s own parish church. Programmes are subject to change; confirmed final details will be available on our website. Handel La bocca vaga Alcina HWV 34 Handel L’angue offeso mai riposa Giulio Cesare HWV 17 to the London Handel Festival by joining one of our Wednesday 27 March Thursday 4 April Handel Dissembling, false, perfidious Hercules... Cease, ruler of Handel Supporter schemes (see page 26), please Guildhall School of Music and Drama LAUREN LODGE-CAMPBELL the day, to rise Hercules HWV 60 Handel Cantata: La Lucrezia HWV 145 consider getting involved with us in another way Handel Nel dolce dell‘oblio HWV 134 (winner of second prize and audience prize) Handel Lord, to thee each night and day Theodora HWV 68 through volunteering your skill or time. Ferrandini Cantata: Il pianto di Maria Handel Ho perduto il caro sposo Rodelinda HWV 19 Handel Sta nell’Ircana Alcina HWV 34 Handel Cantata: Siete rose rugiadose HMV 162 Handel Die ihr aus dunklen Grüften Neun deutsche Arien HWV 208 For most of our events, we need a team of volunteer Handel With plaintive notes and am’rous moan Samson HWV 57 HEATHER TOMALA harpsichord stewards who help to make our audiences feel Monday 1 April Handel Combattuta da due venti Faramondo HWV 39 Handel Sonata in A major HWV 361 HELEN CHARLSTON (winner of first prize) welcome, direct people to their seats, check tickets Bach Angenehmer Zephryrus BWV 205 and sell programmes. We are looking to recruit Handel Meglio in voi col mio partire Serse HWV 40 Handel O thou bright sun!... With darkness deep Theodora HWV 68 Handel Ho fuggito amore anch’io HWV 118 Bach Laudamus te Mass in B minor BWV 232 volunteers for the 2019 Festival who are confident, Handel Dover, giustizia, amor Ariodante HWV 33 Handel Scoglio d’immota fronte Scipione HWV 20 Mayfair Organ Concerts friendly and enjoy interacting with the general public. Handel Aure, deh, per pietà Giulio Cesare HWV 17 We are delighted that the regular Tuesday Handel Cantata: Nel dolce tempo HWV 135b In return, you will get to enjoy the music and meet like- SOPHIE SIMPSON violin lunchtime series of Mayfair Organ Concerts will Handel Sorge nel petto HWV 7a JACOB GARSIDE minded enthusiasts whilst supporting a great charity. Handel Cantata: Mi palpita il cor HWV 132c SATOKO DOI-LUCK harpsichord be part of the main Festival again. The recitals take place at St George’s, Hanover Square on There are other specific volunteering opportunities BAROQUE ENSEMBLE LUX available, including help with social media, general EVA CABALLERO flute Wednesday 10 April the acclaimed Richards, Fowkes & Co organ, NIKOLAY GINOV cello DANIEL MULLANEY (finalist) installed in 2012 and and at Grosvenor Chapel administration or concert logistics. We are a small ASAKO OGAWA harpsichord Handel Comfort ye... Ev’ry valley shall be exalted Messiah HWV 56 on its newly restored William Drake organ. The organisation with big ambition, but rather limited Handel Gentle airs, melodious strains Athalia HWV 52 programmes all feature works by Handel, together resources, and welcome all offers of support. If you Wednesday 3 April Handel O beauteous Queen, unclose those eyes Esther HWV 50 with related repertoire and are performed by have a particular skill to offer, we would be delighted to Royal of College of Music’s Handel Total eclipse… Why does the God of Israel sleep? Samson HWV 57 some of the leading names in the organ world hear from you. If you would like to get involved, and to Historical Performance Faculty Handel Io già t’amai; Se per te giungo a godere; Tra sospetti, affetti, today. Each recital runs from 1.10pm to 1.50pm find out more about anything described above, please Handel in G major Op. 5 No. 4 HWV 399 e timori; Fatto inferno e il mio petto... Pastorello d’un povero (doors open at 12.30pm). Admission is free with a Chacony in G Minor armento Rodelinda HWV 19 contact Samir Savant, Festival Director by e-mail Bach Double Concerto for and violin in C minor BWV 1060 Handel Where’er you walk; I must with speed amuse her Semele retiring collection, and seating is unreserved. For Handel Sonata a 5 in B flat major HWV 288 HWV 58 full details of each programme, please visit our ([email protected]). website nearer the time. Thanks in advance for your interest. MICHAEL PAPADOPOULOS harpsichord & organ

22 23 General Information Musical Walks BOOKING DATES POSTAL BOOKING DISCOUNTS We continue our popular series of pre-performance walks on musical and Georgian themes with Blue Badge Guide Thursday 1 November – Advance priority booking Complete the back page and send to: You are entitled to £2 discount per ticket if you Janice Liverseidge. Each walk is specially tailored to allow for arrival in good time for the relevant performance later for Patrons Circle and above Box Office, London Handel Society, book for 3 or more concerts before 1 February, PO Box 79, Ilminster, TA19 9WP or for group bookings of 10 or more people. that day or evening. Thursday 8 November – Priority booking (online, postal and telephone) for all other Handel Payment may be made by cheque or Please contact us if you are a full-time student or Supporters, including Friends of the London signed credit card authorisation. Please registered disabled. Thursday 4 April, 5.30 – 6.30pm Sunday 14 April, 2.30 – 3.30pm Handel Society do not enter a specific amount on the Meet: on the steps of St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, Meet: St Paul’s Underground, exit closest to Thursday 22 November - Public booking (online, cheque, but state the maximum amount PRICE CATEGORIES Trafalgar Square St Paul’s Cathedral postal and telephone) payable at the bottom of the cheque, in These ticket categories relate to all reserved Handel & Hogarth and 18th-century Music, meat, blood and guts! case we are not able to supply all the seating concerts at St George’s , Hanover Square, For further information about how to become a seats you request. as indicated below. Some of the seats in the Side contemporaries around Covent Garden The area around Smithfield is not only famous for the Old Bailey, Handel Supporter, please see page 26. Aisles and Gallery are restricted view, but the sound In tonight’s early evening stroll, we learn about the artistic on the site of the former Newgate Prison, but is close to a musical ONLINE & TELEPHONE BOOKING is good in all areas of the church. A full seating plan for the church is available on our website. connections with St Martin’s Lane, including Hogarth and church, the end point of the Great Fire of London and also the HOW TO BOOK www.london-handel-festival.com Chippendale. We find out about the life of this great artist and his market itself which in its current format has just celebrated 150 You can book tickets for all events listed in this 01460 54660 Price Category A: £55, £45, £40, £15, £12 links with Handel. We also discover the historical and colourful years. We learn of links with Hogarth at St Bartholomew’s Hospital brochure through the London Handel Festival Box Our box office staff work part time, so Price Category B: £45, £40, £35, £15, £12 background to Covent Garden and the musical heritage of the area, and learn of the area’s history during the Georgian period. We Office except for the Royal Society of Medicine please leave a message if no-one is including singers and composers. We finish our walk at the Royal finish at the Charterhouse. event (28 January), Unknown, Remembered... at available to take your call. Price Category C: £35, £30, £25, £10, £8 Opera House. the Spitalfields Festival and Berenice at the Royal Thursday 25 April, 5.30 – 6.30pm Opera House. BOOKING ON THE DOOR Top price (£55, £45, £35) Front Nave, Rows A-E Monday 8 April, 6 – 7pm Meet: outside Westminster Underground, exit on corner of The Box Office will open at the venue Second price (£45, £40, £30) Mid Nave, Meet: Underground, south side exit on Parliament Square and Whitehall (east side) We are holding an allocation of tickets for Handel 30 minutes before each performance. Rows F-J & Gallery by Organ Piccadilly (Green Park side) 1,000 years of destruction, conservation and Supporters in the two top ticket categories for all Third price (£40, £35, £25) Back Nave, Rows K-M; events at St John’s Smith Square and Wigmore Handel’s patrons and London’s nobility restoration in one hour! SEATING Front Side Aisles & Gallery Front Row at Sides Hall and you may book for these performances Reserved = numbered seats, booking Fourth price (£15, £10) Back Side Aisles; Side Nave & On this walk we learn about the explosive events surrounding Westminster was home to a monastery over 1,000 years ago, and through postal or online booking. Handel’s Music for the Royal Fireworks in the park where it all during this evening’s stroll we will see an area that was important recommended. Gallery Second Row - restricted view Unreserved = choose your seat on arrival, happened, before meandering around St James’s with its coaching due to its links with royalty and democracy. We see some striking If you are not a Handel Supporter, you can book Fifth price (£12, £8) Gallery Back Row - no view inns and shops frequented by the nobility to St James’s Square and memorials and statues, and learn about former royal palaces and but we recommend that you book in directly with the venues: advance to ensure a seat. much more – including a secret square and the best-dressed man in old entry points to the Thames. Our destination is tonight’s concert St John’s Smith Square All details were correct at time of printing; artists London. We finish at St George’s, Hanover Square. venue at King’s College on the Strand. Access and general enquiries: www.sjss.org.uk or 020 7222 1061 01460 54660 and programmes are subject to change. All pieces Wigmore Hall are by Handel unless otherwise stated. All tickets are TICKETS: £15 per walk or £10 if you come to the performance afterwards. Walks need to be booked in advance. www.wigmore-hall.org.uk or 020 7935 2141 non-refundable once purchased. 24 25 Please support our work We offer several levels of support, with a range of benefits designed Booking Form to bring you closer to our work. Please note that the amount for Please return this form to the address below, book online or by Please note that there is a £2.50 booking fee per order to cover The London Handel Festival is an annual telephone (01460 54660 – please note that our staff work part-time). administration and postage costs. If seats are not available in any each level is the suggested minimum donation per year. given area, the next best will be allocated. celebration of the work of George Please read all the information on page 25 before completing this form. Frideric Handel. Each year we present a Friend of London Handel Society Patrons Circle critically acclaimed season of concerts, - £40 per annum – £1,200 per annum Name ...... recitals, talks and walks, and everyone is • Priority booking for all performances, All of the benefits above + Address ...... welcome. Since the very beginning the many of which sell out • Priority booking before other Festival has been supported by those supporters • Invitations to concerts organised ...... Postcode ...... passionate about Handel’s music. by the Friends • Opportunity to designate support A major aim of the Festival is to • Regular e-newsletter towards a particular project Telephone/mobile...... Email ...... encourage and promote young talent. • Annual Season Preview event Please use this form to renew or join as a Handel Supporter (see page 26 for details). The annual Handel Singing Competition Associate Benefactor was inaugurated in 2002, and past - £250 per annum Director’s Circle I wish to renew/join as a ...... e.g. Friend/Benefactor etc @ £ ...... finalists include singers who have gone All of the benefits above + – £5,000 per annum All of the benefits above + I wish to make a donation of £ ...... to support the London Handel Festival on to stellar international careers, such • Personal acknowledgement in donor as Ruby Hughes, Iestyn Davies and lists on website (if desired) • Opportunity to support specific If you are booking for a performance where there is a choice of times, please indicate your preferred time. • Advance notification of Festival concert/project/prize Lucy Crowe. I would like to book tickets for the London Handel Festival as follows: calendar of events • Exclusive access to rehearsals Our supporters make a huge and to meet musicians Performance Date e.g. 28/3 Price £* No. of tickets Total £ contribution to the Festival each year, • Special events designed to give ‘behind the scenes’ access • Regular meetings with Festival helping us to maintain our high artistic Director to share views standards whilst keeping ticket prices Benefactor affordable. We do not receive any - £500 per annum public subsidy and ticket sales alone do All of the benefits above + If you wish to join or to renew your membership, please complete the not cover all of our costs. Therefore • Personal acknowledgement in donor booking form opposite and send it we are reliant on our loyal group of lists in printed programmes (if desired) back to us. supporters for our continued success • Two free Festival programmes on Friend/Benefactor etc. each year, in particular to support our request Thank you for your support. Donation artistic ambitions to nurture young • Personalised communication from Booking Fee talent and explore Handel’s lesser Festival Director, including TOTAL known repertoire. Please join us. review of each Festival * please deduct discount if appropriate 26 I enclose a cheque for £ ...... made payable to the London Handel Society Ltd (please leave total amount open, stating only an upper limit above, in case your first choice of seats is not available) OR pay by credit/debit card (Mastercard, Visa, and Visa Debit are accepted) Please return to: Card no: London Handel Society, PO Box 79, Ilminster, TA19 9WP Start date: / Expiry date: / [email protected] www.london-handel-festival.com

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Notes Please use this space to write any special requirements e.g. prefer end of row seat. We will endeavour to meet your request, but this cannot be guaranteed.

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