When Handel died at his London home in 1759, the whole nation mourned. Three thousand people turned out for his full state funeral and to see him buried in Westminster Abbey. Unlike JS Bach, Handel’s music remained in circulation, a staple of coronations and choral societies. A performance of Messiah at the Crystal Palace to celebrate the centenary of his death attracted an audience of 10,000. Hardly a composer in need of special pleading, you might think.
Not so, says Harry Bicket, artistic director of The English Concert, who makes a compelling case, not just for more Handel, but for Handel for All. ‘Here’s this guy living in Brook Street, who was so much a part of the cultural life of England in the 18th century,’ says Bicket. ‘This is the person Mozart worshipped, who
