Brighton Orpheus Choir conducted by Stella Hull with The Musicians of All Saints given on Saturday 20 March 2010 in All Saints’ Church, The Drive, Hove Handel  Israel in Egypt soloists: Shona Hull (soprano) Lucy Harrison (soprano) Daniel Chard (alto) James Way (tenor) Mike Bunting (bass) Patrick Edmond (bass) John Burdett (organ continuo)

letter from a member of the audience

Israel in Egypt was written three years before Messiah, and is the fifth of Handel's range of 19 oratorios. It is set for double chorus supported by an orchestra of woodwind and strings enriched by trombones, trumpets, timpani and harpschord continuo.  A special characteristic of the work is its colourful painting in music of scenes in the Exodus story.  Some of the most famous are the buzzing strings representing flies and locusts in the fourth plague of the Egyptians, savage brass and timpani depicting hailstones,  the aria telling of the plague of frogs, and the swirling waters as the Red Sea closes over the Pharaoh's army.  The narrative leads to a triumphant chorus as the Israelites rejoice over their escape from slavery and look forward to reaching their promised land.
	George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) The year 2009 marked 250 years since Handel's death, generating renewed interest in the wide range and inventiveness of his music.
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Israel in Egypt is unusual among Handel’s prolific compositions. The popularity of Italian opera was on the wane in the London of the late 1730s, Queen Caroline had died in 1737 and Handel was recovering from a serious illness causing the temporary paralysis of his right arm. Charles Jennens, who three years later was to compile the text for Messiah, was the probable provider of the texts of Saul and Israel in Egypt in 1738. The opinionated librettist was convinced that “Mr Handel’s head is more full of maggots than ever”, but it is clear that Handel fought this mental disturbance with an outpouring of intense composition. The work tells the story of progress from adversity to victory, which for Handel might have symbolised all people coming through the darkness of oppression and personally his own thankfulness for recovery from illness. Originally entitled Exodus and intended to be prefaced by his funeral anthem for the death of Queen Caroline entitled The Lamentation of the Israelites for the death of Joseph, the text follows the Old Testament account of the journey of the Israelites from slavery in Egypt to freedom from their oppressors at the Red Sea as recounted in the book of Exodus, three historically reflective psalms and Moses’ song of thankfulness of Exodus 15.

As was the contemporary custom several of the movements are reworkings of existing material: some of Handel’s own and some by other composers. Since this additional inspiration came from 17th century sources, some movements have an antique flavour. There is an unusual imbalance between soloists and chorus, the latter frequently dividing into 8 parts and singing the majority of the dramatic music. Recitative-like movements, conventionally the domain of the solo singer but here sung by the chorus, have the power to demonstrate the great multitude of the Israelites. With an audience accustomed to the brilliant celebrity of the operatic soloist and an “inappropriate” venue of the King’s Theatre in the Haymarket, the first performance of this masterpiece was not greatly acclaimed. Despite Handel’s attempts to revive the work it failed to achieve approbation, though after his death it became second in popularity only to Messiah. It is certainly both a challenge and a joy for tonight’s chorus who, this term’s snow notwithstanding, hope you greatly enjoy this evening’s performance.