BY GEORGE! A Perspective View of the Building for the Fireworks in Green Park, R. Sayer, 1749 © Gerald Coke Handel Foundation HOW THE RESOURCE WILL WORK: As well as being a guide for exploring the By George exhibition this resource can also be used in the Handel section of the Museum on the top floor. A bust of Handel appears in the Picture Gallery and is worth pointing out to your group. This resource gives a short overview of each section of the exhibition that you can read to your group. There are some questions to start group discussion and some simple activities to help you explore ideas raised by the exhibition. We advise you to listen to the Handel music mentioned throughout this resource in advance of your visit, or as a follow up back at school. HANDEL AND THE FOUNDLING HOSPITAL: Handel was a great supporter of the Foundling Hospital when it was first established. Performances of his ‘Messiah’ became regular fundraising events and continued after he died. The Foundling Museum has a whole floor dedicated to Handel which is where the Gerald Coke Handel Collection is permanently based. Handel composed music for a wide range of occasions and patrons. This exhibition focuses on his contribution to significant Royal and state events for three British monarchs and his role within their courts. HANDEL IN LONDON Bust of George Fridric Handel, by Roubiliac READ TO THE GROUP: Handel was born in Germany in 1685. In 1710 he was employed as the court composer to the German Elector of the House of Hanover, but almost immediately Handel left Germany to visit London. In 1713 Handel composed the ode ‘Eternal source of light divine’ for the Queen of England’s (Queen Anne’s) birthday. Handel seems to have been Queen Anne’s preferred composer, above her ‘Master of The Queen’s Musick’ and she awarded him a pension of £200 per year, probably to persuade him not to return to Hanover. Queen Anne died in 1714. Normally an immediate member of the monarchs family would succeed, but due to a law stating that the new monarch couldn’t be Catholic (which many of Queen Anne’s close relatives were) the 52nd in line to the throne succeeded her. Handel’s former employer, the German Elector of the House of Hanover became King and was King George I. King George I moved to England where his court was German-speaking, giving Handel an advantage over many of his fellow musicians in London. Handel composed music for many state occasions. ACTIVITY: List some occasions today that music could be performed at, or specifically written for. Think about celebrations, public and private events, organisations, charities and places for example the Queens Diamond Jubilee. Can you name specific songs/pieces of music/performers connected to any of these events? Why is music important in celebrating an event? Events like Live8 brought people from around the world together; how does music do that? WATER MUSIC The Music Party by Philip Mercier, Image © The National Portrait Gallery READ TO THE GROUP: Water parties were relatively frequent during the 18th Century. They were a chance for the monarch to present himself to his people. Handel composed a suite of twenty-two pieces called ‘Water Music’ for a party held on the River Thames for George I in 1717. The King liked it so much that he requested that it be played three times during the evening. The King was in one barge and the orchestra in another, accompanied by further boats with members of the Court and guests. ACTIVITY: Why would King George I want to appear in public to his people? In what ways are today’s modern Royal Family presented to the public? How much control does our Royal Family have over their image and the way they are portrayed in public? The river party where Handel’s Water Music was played was reported in the world’s first daily newspaper. The account is on display in the exhibition. Compare the images of the River Party in 1717 to the video of the Queen’s Diamond Jubilee in 2012. The 2012 film captures every last detail, but in the 18th century when their was no photography, painters could change the story so that the Royal family were shown in a positive light. In small groups plan a modern event for a member of today’s Royal Family to make a public appearance. For example visiting a school or hospital. • Pick a member(s) of the Royal Family as a starting point. • Where will the event be? • Who will be invited? • What will happen? • Will there be music? • How will the event be shown to people around the world? • What will the event be called? Think of as much detail as you can and present your ideas to each other. CORONATION MUSIC King George II by Shackleton, Image © The National Portrait Gallery READ TO THE GROUP: In 1727 King George I died and his son was crowned George II. It was King George II who gave Thomas Coram the Royal Charter to set up the Foundling Hospital in 1739. Handel was appointed by the King to write the music for his coronation. The scale of the performance, with over 40 singers and about 160 people in the orchestra, was unprecedented for such an event. It was reported in newspapers and large crowds gathered to hear the rehearsals of the music. Handel composed four ‘coronation anthems’, of which the most famous is ‘Zadok the Priest’. The words came from the first Book of Kings and has been used at every coronation since King Edgar in AD 973. Handel’s piece has been performed at all ten British coronations since George II. ACTIVITY: Think back to the event you planned for a member of the current Royal Family in the previous activity. How would you advertise the event? Draw a poster advertising your event. Remember it is important to promote everything happening throughout your event to maximise visitors and to raise as much money as possible. HANDEL THE tutor AND HIS LINK to THE FouNDLING HOSPITAL The Foundling Children in Music Practice Practice in Music Children The Foundling READ TO THE GROUP: Handel was paid £200 per year to teach music to the Royal princesses, Anne, Amelia, Carolina and Louisa. An extract from Princess Anne’s diary is on display. It shows that on a Sunday in June 1723, time between 4 and 5pm was put aside for practicing, followed by a lesson with Mr Handel from 5 to 6.30pm. She was probably taught singing and instrument technique as well as music theory and composition. You can also see a surviving manuscript entitled ‘Lessons for Princess Louisa’, which appears to have simple piano music composed for the younger princess. Perhaps someone in the class could play this back at school. In 1749 Handel approached the Foundling Hospital to offer a benefit concert to fund the completion of the building of their Chapel. He wrote a new work especially for the concert called ‘Blessed are they that considereth the poor’ which is now more famously known as the Foundling Hospital Anthem (you can hear this is the Handel room upstairs in the Museum). The Prince and Princess of Wales were in the audience at the concert where other pieces were played including ‘The Charitable shall be had in everlasting’, ‘Comfort them, o Lord, when they are sick / Keep them alive’ and ended with the ‘Halleluja’ chorus taken from Handel’s most well-known oratorio piece called Messiah. The following year, Handel organised a performance of the Messiah in the Foundling Chapel. At the time it had hardly been performed and wasn’t well known. Handel thought it was the perfect piece to perform in aid of charity, the event sold out and the Hospital had to put on a second performance two weeks later. Handel was elected as a Governor of the Hospital, he donated an organ for the Hospital Chapel, and gave a benefit performance of the Messiah every year until his death in 1759. After which the performances continued annually until 1777. The benefit concerts for the Hospital raised almost £7,000, equivalent to about £500,000 in today’s money and helped make the Messiah one of the most famous works in the English Baroque repertoire. It was because of Handel’s connection to the Foundling Hospital that all foundlings were taught music. There was a Foundling choir and band. During the outbreak of war, the members of the Foundling band joined the military band on active service. ACTIVITY: Write your own anthem for your school. Listen to the Foundling Hospital Anthem in the Museum. Start by writing a list of words connected to your school, things you do there, your teachers, the building itself Some adverts take well known tunes and change the words to them to help sell their product. The more well known a tune the more likely it is to stay in our heads with the new words. In small groups try to replace the words of twinkle twinkle little star with new words – get inspiration from your list. Remember it’s an anthem so it needs to be a positive message, selling the school. You could think about it as if you are making an advert jingle. Sing back to the class OTHER stATE comPOSITIONS Zadok the Priest, Coronation anthem by George Frideric Handel READ TO THE GROUP: Funeral music for Queen Caroline King George II’s consort, Queen Caroline, died in 1737.