All for a Good Cause

Available for 29 days

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