Georg Friedrich Händel (1685 - 1759) was a German,
later British, baroque composer who spent the bulk of
his career in London, becoming well known for his
operas, oratorios, anthems, and organ concertos. Handel
received important training in Halle and worked as a
composer in Hamburg and Italy before settling in London
in 1712; he became a naturalised British subject in
1727. He was strongly influenced both by the great
composers of the Italian Baroque and by the
middle-German polyphonic choral ...(+)
Georg Friedrich Händel (1685 - 1759) was a German,
later British, baroque composer who spent the bulk of
his career in London, becoming well known for his
operas, oratorios, anthems, and organ concertos. Handel
received important training in Halle and worked as a
composer in Hamburg and Italy before settling in London
in 1712; he became a naturalised British subject in
1727. He was strongly influenced both by the great
composers of the Italian Baroque and by the
middle-German polyphonic choral tradition.
The Foundling Hospital Anthem (HWV 268), also known by
its longer title "Blessed are they that considereth the
poor" [sic], is a choral anthem composed by George
Frideric Handel in 1749. It was written for the
Foundling Hospital in London and was first performed in
the chapel there. Handel wrote two versions, one for
choir only and one for choir and soloists. Composed 10
years before his death, it was Handel's last piece of
English church music.
The Foundling Hospital was a charitable institution
founded in 1739 by the philanthropic sea captain Thomas
Coram to house and educate abandoned and orphaned
children. It was established under royal charter by
King George II and was supported by many noted figures
of the day in high society and the arts. The portrait
painter and cartoonist William Hogarth was a founding
governor, and thanks to his influence, the Foundling
Hospital grew to become a very fashionable charity,
counting among its benefactors a number of renowned
artists. Under Hogarth's direction, artists such as
William Hogarth, Joshua Reynolds, Allan Ramsay and
Thomas Gainsborough exhibited paintings at the
Hospital, creating what is thought to be Britain's
first public art gallery. The composer George Frederic
Handel was invited to put on a benefit concert in the
Hospital chapel to raise funds, and for the occasion he
composed the Foundling Hospital Anthem. The premiere of
the Foundling Hospital Anthem took place at a midday
concert in the Hospital Chapel on 27 May 1749. The
Chapel was not finished, and had no glass in the
windows. The performance was attended by the Prince and
Princess of Wales. The programme opened with Handel's
Anthem for the Peace (written in 1749 in thanksgiving
for the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle); this was followed by
a selection of extracts from his oratorio Solomon
(1748); and followed by Foundling Hospital Anthem,
billed as "The Anthem Composed on this Occasion". The
anthem concluded with the "Hallelujah" chorus from
Messiah, a piece that had not yet gained widespread
popularity at the time. It is possible that it was at
this performance that royalty first stood for the
"Hallelujah" chorus, establishing a long tradition,
rather than at the 1743 London premiere of Messiah
attended by King George II, as is popularly assumed.
The concert was a huge success for both Handel and the
Hospital.
The Foundling Hospital Anthem is compiled from material
originating in other works by Handel, including two
movements from the Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline
(1737), a sombre chorus that had been edited out of
Susanna (1748), and most notably, the "Hallelujah"
chorus from Messiah, which concludes the anthem.
Handel's first version, written for the first
performance at the fundraising concert in May 1749, was
a fully choral score. He wrote a second version,
probably arranged in 1751 for a service of dedication
at the official opening of the Foundling Hospital
Chapel. The Foundling Hospital's own charity children
did not sing in these performances, but instead the
choir was formed from the Children of the Chapel Royal.
At the performance of the revised score, the soloists
were John Beard (tenor), Gaetano Guadagni (castrato),
and two boy trebles from the Chapel Royal.
It is not known why Handel chose to conclude this work
with the "Hallelujah" chorus; the subject matter of the
anthem is concerned with reward for the charitable, and
Handel he may have intended to draw a theological
connection with "the Kingdom of this world" becoming
"the kingdom of our Lord", as illustrated in Christ's
Parable of The Sheep and the Goats (Matthew
25:31–46). Equally, Handel may simply have wanted a
rousing conclusion to the anthem.
Source: Wikipedia
(https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundling_Hospital_Anthe
m).
Although originally created for Mixed Chorus (SATB) &
Baroque Orchestra (2 Oboes, 2 Trumpets, Timpani,
Strings, Continuo), I created this Arrangement of "O
God who from the suckling's mouth" (HWV 268 Mvt. 3) for
Winds (Flute, Oboe, French Horn & Bassoon) and Strings
(2 Violins, Viola & Cello).
