All for a Good Cause
Donald Macleod explores Handel's visit to Dublin, where patronage takes a new shape.
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
Last on
More episodes
Next
You are at the last episode
Music Played
-
George Frideric Handel
Messiah (Sinfonia)
Orchestra: Irish Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Peter Whelan.- LINN RECORDS : CKD-761.
- LINN RECORDS.
- 1.
-
George Frideric Handel
L'Allegro, il Penseroso ed il Moderato, HWV.55, Part 1: "Sweet bird"
Singer: Christine Brandes. Orchestra: Paris Orchestral Chamber Ensemble. Conductor: John Nelson.- ERATO : 724354541728.
- ERATO.
- 12.
-
George Frideric Handel
Imeneo, HWV.42, Act 2 (excerpt)
Singer: Ann Hallenberg. Singer: Magnus Staveland. Ensemble: Europa Galante. Director: Fabio Biondi.- GLOSSA : GCD-923405.
- GLOSSA.
- 7.
-
George Frideric Handel
Messiah, Part 3 (excerpt)
Orchestra: Irish Baroque Orchestra. Conductor: Peter Whelan. Singer: Edward Grint. Singer: Hilary Cronin. Choir: Irish Baroque Chorus.- LINN RECORDS : CKD-761.
- LINN RECORDS.
- 23.
-
George Frideric Handel
Foundling Hospital Anthem, HWV268 (Nos. 6 & 7)
Orchestra: Brandenburg Consort. Conductor: David Hill. Singer: Gillian Fisher. Singer: Libby Crabtree. Singer: John Elwes. Choir: Winchester Cathedral Choir.- DECCA : 455-041-2.
- DECCA.
- 6.
Broadcast
- Fri 24 Jul 2026 16:00ĢƵ Radio 3
Beethoven Unleashed – the box set
What was really wrong with Beethoven?
Composers A to Z
Who knew? Five eye-opening stories from Composer of the Week
Five reasons why we love Parry's Jerusalem
What is the strange power of Jerusalem which makes strong men weep?
A man out of time – why Parry's music and ideas were at odds with his image...
The composer of Jerusalem was very far from the conservative figure his image suggests.
Composer Help Page
Find resources and contacts for composers from within the classical music industry.



