Rachel's London bucket list included visiting Handel's house so we set out to find it. It was in Mayfair, which bills itself as one of the most exclusive districts of London. Block after block of shops, pubs, cafes and more shops.
And Claridges. 5-star hotel and restaurant.
I'll bet that dude in the yellow vest is feeling just a little underdressed right now...what with no top hat and the reflective stripes and all...
I was getting a little confused and concerned. AND it was dark and we were four girls, roaming the streets of London. And we had no snacks.
The address we were looking for was 25 Brook St, Mayfair, London. Mayfair is billed as "an affuent area in the West End of London, in the city of Westminster." And "one of the most expensive districts in London and the world." And, in case you are a Monopoly fan, Mayfair is the most expensive property square on the London Monopoly board.
Finally a welcome sight met our eyes. A sign proclaiming Handal House Museum. Not a cute little Tudor house or thatched roof cottage or even a row house. Just more shops and, on a red door, a sign that proclaimed Handal House Museum, enter at XXX Lancashire Court.
Lancashire Court was really just an alley between two buildings. A breathing space between shops, barely even lit. I feel like we could have stood still and spread our arms out and touched both buildings. Could this be a mistake? After a slight pause, we plunged into the dark unknown of the alley. While questions filled our minds... Well, they filled my mind anyway. Why couldn't we go in the front door? Why were we being directed down this shadowy alley? Was the house back here? Why weren't there more lights? Was this an elaborate trap? Were we going to be mugged and murdered in our quest for cultural enrichment? And why haven't I every heard of Handal's composition The Harmonious Blacksmith? While everyone has heard of The Messiah, and rightfully so, why aren't some of his other oratorios more popular? Such as: Esther, Deborah, Joshua, Hercules, Samson, Susanna, Solomon. Oh, maybe those were some questions I had later...but in any case,
I'm thinking I could really dig an opera about Deborah...
Ahem. With none of my questions answered, we find a well-lit entrance and discover that the museum would be closing in about 45 minutes but we decide to power through it--all three floors--since the admission paid for through our London Pass and it was unlikely we would be coming by this way again.
Handal's house was a small Georgian townhouse that was built shortly before he took occupancy in 1723 and lived there until his death in 1759. He wrote 250 pieces of music during his tenancy, including the Messiah, Zadok the Priest, and The Royal Fireworks Music. I have to admit I'm a little curious about Zadok the Priest.
On the subject of composing the Messiah, Handel is said to have remarked in 1741,
"I did think I did see all Heaven before me and the great God Himself."
Horace Walpole said in 1743 "[Handel's] oratorios...give me an idea of heaven, where everybody is to sing whether they have voices or not." For my part, I can hardly wait.
Soon we discover that not only did Handal live here, so did Jimi Hendrix. From the sublime to the ridiculous. (That opinion is today's freebie.) He lived there for two years, more or less. His rent in 1968 was 40 pounds a week, as compared to Handal's thirty-five pounds per year a couple of centuries earlier. There was a plaque on the wall facing the street commemorating the fact that Handal had lived there. This pleased Hendrix even though he admitted he hadn't heard much of that "fella's stuff." But he did "dig a bit of Bach now and again."
One floor of the townhouse was dedicated to Hendrix and the other two floors to Handal. I actually don't think we even walked through Hendrix's floor. But we spent our time wisely oohing and ahhing over the gorgeous harpsichord and his four poster bed. We were also duly impressed by the paintings, sculptures, and early editions of some of his operas and oratorios. Also some of Handal's original correspondence and some of his original manuscripts. What treasures are housed here!
A fun little factoid: he wrote about a dozen hymns, all in German. Which only makes sense, since he actually was born in Germany.
Had we stumbled into this museum on a Thursday night, we might have been treated to a recital of Baroque music.
And thus was "visit Handal's House" duly checked off Rachel's London bucket list.
And the rest of us were culturally enriched.
day 5dd
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