42-539: 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
84-567: A legal right to use such techniques – but only for the boys' choir, not for acting.) Solomon Pavy, the young actor eulogized by Ben Jonson upon his premature death in 1603, was one boy "pressed" into service in this high-handed way. So, reportedly, was Nathan Field. In one notorious instance, a man named Henry Clifton brought a complaint before the Star Chamber in December 1601, maintaining that Giles had in fact kidnapped Clifton's young son Thomas while
126-653: A scene that was omitted from the printed texts of the plays.) When the Court was not in London, however, the Children of the Blackfriars performed the plays again, in their original offensive form. The angry James swore that the boys "should never play more but should first beg their bread." Yet the King liked plays too much to maintain this resolve over the long term, and the Children were eventually able to continue. They even performed at Court
168-729: A tradition of Christmas music in Britain and America that dates back to the 1820s. HWV The Händel-Werke-Verzeichnis (abbreviated as HWV ) is the Catalogue of Handel's Works . It was published in three volumes (in German) by Bernd Baselt between 1978 and 1986, and lists every piece of music known to have been written by George Frideric Handel . The catalogue also includes the first few bars of each piece and large amounts of factual information including manuscript sources, early prints, photographs, spurious works, etc. The catalogue does not include
210-778: Is HWV 612 his last. Instead, the HWV numbers group works into musical categories, and provide a good ordering of the date of composition within each category. The following table lists the categories and the HWV number ranges. There are gaps and anomalies in the HWV numbering system, so the above table is only useful as a guide (see the List of compositions by George Frideric Handel for more details). The HWV numbers do not imply that Handel wrote exactly 612 works. The combination of unnumbered works, lost works, misattributed works, spurious works, variants (e.g. HWV 251 a–d), grouped works (e.g. HWV 229 1–7), and arrangements (e.g. HWV 482 1–4), all render meaningless
252-553: Is become the kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ, and He shall reign forever and ever. Hallelujah! Handel's fundraising concerts of both the Foundling Hospital Anthem and Messiah were highly successful, raising almost £7000 (equivalent to over £1 million in modern money) and his contribution is remembered today. The Foundling Hospital relocated in 1935, moving to a new building in Berkhamsted , Hertfordshire and
294-512: 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
336-543: The Book of Job ( Psalm 41 and Job 29:11 ). The famous "Hallelujah" chorus is derived from the Book of Revelation ( Revelation 19:6 and Revelation 11:15 ). Blessed are they that considereth the poor and needy: the Lord will deliver them in time of trouble, the Lord preserve them and comfort them. They deliver the poor that crieth, the fatherless and him that hath none to help him. The Lord will comfort them. O God, who from
378-886: The Children of the Queen's Revels, the Children of the Revels ) and the Children of the Blackfriars Theatre or Children of the Blackfriars, and finally the Children of the Whitefriars Theatre or Children of the Whitefriars were troupes of child actors in Elizabethan and Jacobean England. The beginning of court performances dates back to the start of Elizabeth I's reign in England, starting in 1558 and continues through 1603. Elizabeth I
420-629: The Foundling Hospital Anthem and Messiah donated by Handel to the Hospital are now on display at the Foundling Museum in London. Handel's Anthem is performed at an annual concert to mark the composer's birthday in February. The charitable origins of Messiah are continued in today's " Scratch Messiah " performances, when concert performances are staged with public participation in the choruses. These concerts are often charity fundraising events and are
462-602: 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. The anthem opens with text adapted from Psalm 41 and
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#1732851322480504-620: The 12th century or earlier, a distinct establishment known as the Chapels Royal was created within the English Royal Court and its musical establishment now claims to be the oldest continuous musical organization in the world. Children sang in church because their high voices were considered closest to the angels and Queen Elizabeth's need for entertainment and care for her “spiritual well being”. Boy groups from grammar and choir school, ages 7–14, were royally patronized to perform songs for
546-595: The Bloomsbury building, including the chapel, was demolished. On the site today is a children's park, Coram's Fields . The Hospital eventually closed in 1955, and the Berkhamsted building converted into a secondary school , Ashlyns School . The Foundling Hospital charity once supported by Handel continues to this day as the Thomas Coram Foundation for Children (now known simply as Coram). The musical scores of
588-525: The Children of the Blackfriars. They managed to offend the King a third time, in 1608, in regard to their production of George Chapman's two-part play The Conspiracy and Tragedy of Charles, Duke of Byron . The double play offended the French Ambassador, who got it banned from the stage. (The Ambassador was particularly bothered by a scene in which the French Queen slaps the face of the King's mistress –
630-517: The Children of the Queen's Revels once again. The company performed Jonson's Epicene in 1609; in 1611 they acted Nathan Field's A Woman is a Weathercock , both at Whitefriars and at Court. Field was in the cast of both productions. They played at Court four times in 1612–13, performing plays by Beaumont and Fletcher . For a time around 1613, the boys' troupe was linked with the Lady Elizabeth's Men . After losing their Whitefriars lease at
672-579: The Children to play there. The boys performed at Court on 6 January and 22 February 1601. They had a big hit that year with Ben Jonson 's The Poetaster . Nathan Field , John Underwood , and William Ostler , all of whom would later join the King's Men , were in the cast. Even in the early years of this period, the Children of the Chapel were mired in controversy: Giles drafted, and sometimes nearly kidnapped, boys that he wanted in his troupe. (Incredibly enough, he had
714-513: 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
756-623: The Queen and her court. The Choir's, now just ten, boys are traditionally known as the Children of the Chapel Royal , and wear the distinctive State uniform introduced at the Restoration. Their special school within St James's Palace no longer operates, having closed in 1923; the boys all attend the City of London School and receive a choral scholarship from The King. In former times when educated within
798-572: The Royal Household. It consists of six Gentlemen in Ordinary and ten choristers and a Sub-Organist. At the coronation of Charles III and Camilla in 2023, one of the Children was chosen to give a welcoming address to the King. The Children of the Chapel (if from the establishment of the Chapels Royal also known as the Children of His Majesty's Chapel Royal , the Children of the Chapel Royal ,
840-520: The boy was walking home from grammar school. (Giles was censured; Clifton got his son back.) The Children of the Chapel performed plays by Jonson, George Chapman , John Marston , Thomas Middleton , and others during the next several years; they specialized in the satirical comedy that appealed to Court wits and a "Gentle" audience, in contrast to the more popularly oriented drama of William Shakespeare , Thomas Heywood , Thomas Dekker , and similar writers. The company experienced popularity and success in
882-489: The boys. For unknown reasons, the troupe did not act at Court after 1584 (though they did give some performances outside London). When the Children of Paul's were suppressed in 1590, due to their playwright John Lyly 's role in the Marprelate controversy , the fashion for troupes of child actors went into abeyance for the next decade – inevitably affecting the Children of the Chapel. (When Marlowe's Dido, Queen of Carthage
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#1732851322480924-533: The court they were very much a part of court life and by ancient tradition were entitled to many small special privileges. The Choir's duties remain to sing the regular services in the chapel of the Monarch's home and to otherwise attend as commanded. It is based in the two chapels of St James's Palace and services are also sung in the chapels of Kensington and Buckingham Palaces . The Choir also takes part in many State and National ceremonies and at private events within
966-526: The determination of the exact number of Handel's compositions. Children of the Chapel The Children of the Chapel are the boys with unbroken voices, choristers , who form part of the Chapel Royal, the body of singers and priests serving the spiritual needs of their sovereign wherever they were called upon to do so. They were overseen by the Master of the Children of the Chapel Royal . Sometime in
1008-515: The end of 1614, they moved to Rosseter's short-lived Porter's Hall Theatre (1615). The last play they are known to have acted was Beaumont and Fletcher's The Scornful Lady . The company apparently collapsed around 1616. A warrant, granted in 1626 to Nathaniel Giles to take up singing boys for the service of the Chapel Royal, contained a proviso that the children so to be taken should not be employed as comedians or stage-players, or act in stage plays, interludes, comedies, or tragedies, "for that it
1050-534: The first years of the century; when the House of Stuart inherited the monarchy, the Children of the Chapel, like other troupes of actors, received royal favor – they became the Children of the Queen's Revels (1603–5). They tried tragedies and tragicomedies, but most of their success came from satirical comedies. Company performances became a regular staple for the court and began to be performed by both children and adult companies, so much so that they occurred annually at
1092-480: The following Christmas season. Also in 1608, the King's Men took over the lease of the Blackfriars Theatre, effectively evicting the previous tenants. The children's company moved to the new Whitefriars Theatre , and became, perforce, the Children of the Whitefriars (1609). In 1610, however, they regained royal favour, due to the influence of Philip Rosseter , lutenist to the Royal household and their new manager; they were
1134-415: The full scores of Handel's works (for the full scores, see Händel-Gesellschaft and Hallische Händel-Ausgabe ). The HWV thematic catalogue serves as the modern numbering system for Handel's compositions. For example, Handel's Messiah is numbered as HWV 56. The HWV numbers range from 1 to 612, however they do not represent a global date-ordering of composition; i.e. HWV 1 is not Handel's first work, nor
1176-475: The new chapel. In 1750, he conducted a second benefit concert in the chapel; this was a performance of Messiah , and it was so oversubscribed that Handel had to put on a repeat performance two weeks later. The Foundling Hospital expressed its gratitude by making Handel a governor of the charity. A tradition was established of an annual Easter performance of Messiah in the Hospital Chapel, and this established
1218-497: 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
1260-453: The piece's enormous popularity among British audiences. Handel attended every performance until his death in 1759. A memorial concert was held in Handel's honour in the Hospital Chapel soon after his death, during which the Foundling Hospital Anthem was performed once more. The Foundling Hospital Anthem is compiled from material originating in other works by Handel, including two movements from
1302-448: The suckling’s mouth ordaineth early praise, of such as worship Thee in truth accept the humble lays. The charitables shall be had in everlasting remembrance and the good will shine as the brightness of the firmament. Comfort them, O Lord, when they are sick: make thou their bed in sickness. Keep them alive, let them be blessed upon the earth and not deliver them unto their foes. Hallelujah! The Kingdom of this world
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1344-520: The winter revelry, which was a large festive gathering full of drinking and loud festivities. Yet they also experienced the downside of this brand of drama: when the play Eastward Hoe (1605) won official censure and landed two of its authors, Jonson and Chapman, in jail, the actors earned a share of the disapproval. They lost their Royal patent, and became simply the Children of the Revels (1605–6). After another scandal, this one involving The Isle of Gulls by John Day (1606), they were known as
1386-473: 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
1428-421: Was Master of the Children of the Chapel from 1566 to 1597; under his stewardship the boys played repeatedly at Court until 1584. In 1576 (the same year James Burbage built The Theatre and began the era of popular Elizabethan drama). The land in which the theater was on, was initially owned by Sir William, but was negotiated on by Burbage so that way Chamberlain's Men would have a theater to perform in. The area
1470-503: 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
1512-417: 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. Handel's fundraising concert began a long association with the Foundling Hospital in Bloomsbury. He later donated a pipe organ for
1554-597: Was founded by the Dominican Friars in 1278 and bordered the river Thames near London. It was known for being a self-governing area, mainly to escape control and power of the mayor. Burbage bought out the first floor hall of the Upper Frater of the theater which would be turned into the Blackfriar Playhouse. Hunnis's deputy Richard Farrant rented space in the old Blackfriars priory, and began public performances by
1596-401: Was insistent on making sure the children mastered other skills, such as art, theatre, and various musical instruments to enhance their talent and develop the quality of the performances as time went on. By the accession of James I in 1603, the Chapels Royal was staffed by a dean, a sub-dean, and 32 gentlemen (both priests and laymen); it also had a choir of 12 boys. The age range for the group
1638-560: 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
1680-413: Was never set in stone. The boys would join around age 6, and would continue in the group up into their mid 20’s. While they were technically no longer children, they did not get kicked out, and instead the number of boys grew in number. William Cornysh , who was Master of the Children from 1509 to 1523, first began the practice of having the boys' choir perform dramatic interludes at Court. William Hunnis
1722-518: Was published in 1594 , it was described as "Played by the Children of Her Majesty's Chapel." The uncertainty of that play's date clouds the question of when those performances occurred.) In 1600 the Children of the Chapel returned to the public stage with regular performances. Nathaniel Giles , their Master from 1597 to 1634, became one of the lessees (with Henry Evans ) of the Blackfriars Theatre that James Burbage built in 1596, and brought
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1764-495: Was the daughter of Henry VIII and Anne Boleyn. She came into power the day that her older sister Mary passed away, and took over rule of England almost immediately after. This became the start of the Elizabethan era and was known for its influx of appreciation and recognition of the arts. The performances themselves started off as mainly choir concerts, until they became more musical, performative and used masks for costumes. The Queen
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