The London Handel Festival 2024 is indeed very much in full swing.
And if this is not the sort of image that you would expect for a Handel Festival – that is because it is the setting for Aci by the River, a new production of Handel’s early dramatic work Aci, Galatea e Polifemo. The opera will be staged in the stunning Trinity Buoy Wharf Lighthouse (London’s only lighthouse) on the banks of the Thames just beyond East India Dock. The production is by the Handel Opera Studio and if it is anywhere as imaginative and exciting as their Realms of Sorrow last year at StoneNest – the audience is in for quite an evening! However, do not delay in booking as although there are tickets left, there are not that many.
Those wise enough to have booked in advance for the opera will be transported down the river by boat, serenaded by more Handelian music – but I fear that all boat trips are sold out.
For those whose inclination is towards more conventional renderings of Handel’s music, the opening concert, his oratorio Esther at St George’s Hanover Square (Handel’s own church) ticked absolutely every box.
It was conducted by Laurence Cummings who, after 25 amazing years as founder and director of the festival, is stepping down this year, and stunningly sung by a cast led by Nardus Williams as Esther and Jess Dandy as Mordecai. The church was absolutely packed by an audience who were totally enthralled by the performance and the roof raising renderings of the big choral numbers including Zadok the priest.
Other mega successful events so far have included a packed out concert with Laurence and soprano, Carolyn Sampson, the semi final of this year’s singing competition, a lunchtime concert with Ensemble Augeletti at the Charterhouse chapel and Music for Royal Spaces in the King’s Chapel of the Savoy – but there is LOTS more to come. Check in to:
- Sunday 24th – The Foundling Museum for Ensemble Molière
- Wednesday 27th – St George’s Hanover Square for The English Consort and Brockes Passion
- Friday 27th – Good Friday – at St George’s Hanover Square. JS Bach’s mighty St John Passion first performed on Good Friday 300 years ago. With the Choir of St George’s and the London Handel Orchestra
- Thursday 4th April – The class of 1685 – Handel, Bach and Scarlatti at St George’s Hanover Square with Solomons Knot
- Saturday April 6th – a Coronation made New at St Martin in the Fields with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Four of Handel’s great coronation overtures, paired with four contemporary pieces commissioned by the festival to act as counterpoint.
- Friday 19th – St George’s Hanover Square – the final of the 2024 Handel singing competition.
- Saturday 20th – closing concert in St George’s – Arianna in Creta with La Nuova Musica
Plus, of course Aci by the River on the 10th, 11th, 12th & 13th April – further lunchtime concerts at the Charterhouse, performances at the Handel Hendrix House and a selection of on line previews of some of the major performances.
For more details and to book see the Festival’s Spring Awakenings site – but do not delay. There are still tickets for most performances – but not many.
Upcoming Salon Music concerts
Monday April 8th
Book here for the Bassett Horn Ladies of the Vauxhall Band For more on this concert see this post about the basset horns, and this post about Vauxhall Pleasure gardens.
Thursday 16th May
Declan Hickey – solo guitar recital. For more details see this post and to book, go here.
Sunday 26th May – Highgate Society lunchtime concert
Anna Scott sings and plays Americana classics. For more details and to book go here.
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Your great efforts to bring unusual repertoire to audiences is to be commended. I hope in return you have a place on the boat going to the Handel evening.