Historical Background
This article examines the extent to which Messiah, written by George Frederic Handel became the foundation of a choral tradition in the city during the second half of the 18th century, some two hundred and fifty years ago.
The first performance of Messiah had been given in the New Musick Hall, Fishamble Street, Dublin on Tuesday, 13th April 1742 at twelve noon. One of the soloists was Susanna Cibber. As a tragic actress she played opposite David Garrick, actor and theatre impresario. Two years after the Messiah performance, Susanna was in Bath from where she sent word to Handel that she would perform for him next season. Handel was delighted and wrote to Charles Jennens, author of the libretto for Messiah, to encourage him to send words for a new oratorio.
The first London performance of Messiah took place at the Theatre Royal, Covent Garden on 23rd March 1743. The first performance in Bath was advertised for Wednesday, 14th May 1755 in Wiltshire’s Rooms but, in the event, probably did not take place. Signor Giuseppe Passerini and his wife, Christina, who had promoted the concert, claimed that they had not been able to engage the chorus singers and had been obliged to defer the performance until the following season. Christina had been recommended to Handel by Georg Telemann and she subsequently sang in many of his operas and oratorios including Messiah.
The first performance of Messiah in Bath was directed by Passerini on the 24th November 1756 at Mr. Simpson’s Great Room, ‘with an able band of Vocal and Instrumental Performers.’
In April 1759, the Whitehall Evening Post wrote
And this Day Mr Handel proposed setting out for Bath, to try the Benefits of the Waters, having been for some Time past in a bad State of Health.
He had already visited Bath twice in 1749 and in 1751 when he stayed ten days in June. But five days later the paper continued
Mr Handel, who was in Hopes to have set out for Bath last Saturday, has continued so ill, that he could not undertake the Journey.
He died two days later on Good Friday 14th April 1759.
Selina Hastings, Countess of Huntingdon, knew Handel personally. She had established a Connection - a Calvinistic movement within the Methodist Church - and in 1765 she built a chapel in Bath in the Vineyards. Later the boys and girls of the chapel were often praised for their singing in Bath and elsewhere. John Marsh commended them highly noting that they sang ‘very accurately’ the ‘Amen’ and ‘Worthy is the Lamb’ from Messiah without any organ or instrumental accompaniment.
A month after Handel’s death, the Bath Abbey organist Thomas Chilcot organised charity performances of Handel’s work including Messiah. The newspaper advertisement ‘declared no expense has been wanting to engage the best voices from Salisbury, Gloucester, Bristol and Worcester Cathedrals’. It was directed by Dr. Hayes from Oxford and given in Wiltshire’s Rooms for the Benefit of the General Hospital.
It was to be another eight years before Messiah was heard again in Bath. Here in Bath the occasion was doubtless auspicious because it was at the opening of the Octagon Chapel in Milsom Street in 1767. Two weeks before the performance the finishing touches to the décor were being completed.
As the Pews in this Chapel are to be lined with Cloth of the same Sort and Colour to preserve Neatness and Uniformity; Persons who chuse [sic] whether to line, to cover their kneeling Boards, or to have Cushions in their Pews are desired to send to Mr Bullman […] who has the Disposal of Seats to the Inhabitants […]
William Herschel had been appointed Chapel organist a few months earlier and had recently moved to Bath from his previous tenure at the parish church in Halifax, Yorkshire. He was born in Hanover in 1738 into a family of military bandsmen. Following a posting with the Hanover Guards to England in 1756, he had later returned with his brother, Jacob, to find work as musicians.
The Octagon was one of a number of private chapels in the city which rented Fire Recesses ‘where fix fires are kept for the sake of Invalids.’ Strangers (visitors to the city) could rent them for one, two or three months; those above in the gallery being somewhat cheaper, a guinea a quarter, compared with those below which were twice the price. There were seats likewise for servants. A contemporary advertisement explained.
This publick [sic] Notice is given, that all Strangers who come to Bath for the Seasons, may have what Sittings they please, for one, two, or three Months, either in the Recesses (where there are Fires from Michaelmas) or in any other Part of the Chapel, by applying to Mr BULLMAN, the Clerk, at Mr Herschel’s in New King street, or at the Vestry an Hour before Service on Sundays, Wednesdays, and Fridays.
Herschel was also part of the administration, personally supplying tickets for the occasion. Such was the popularity of Messiah that it was performed on two consecutive mornings ‘in aid of the Industrious Poor.’ A notice in the paper sought those deserving.
As no Charity at this Time seems more fashionable than the Relief of the INDUSTRIOUS POOR, many of whom, in this City, are, from the present Dearness of Provisions, unable, with all their Labour and Diligence, to supply their large Families, even with the common Supports of Life; the Money that remains (after all Expenses are defrayed) will be applied to the Relief of these REAL Distresses. And it will be taken as a Favour, if Persons of Credit would point out those proper Objects, by sending a Line to […] setting out the Particulars of such Families they are so good to recommend.
His sister Caroline assisted him in leading the Octagon choir and copying music. The choir originally consisted of young workmen, carpenters and joiners, with no previous notion of singing but they were soon ‘able to render the choruses of various oratorios with success.’ Herschel also engaged the boys and girls from Lady Huntingdon’s Chapel ‘in addition to the voices that were at the theatre in Passion Week.’ In preparation for the oratorios during Lent, Caroline copied the scores of Messiah and other works for an orchestra (vocalists and instrumentalists) of nearly a hundred performers. The gentlemen of the Chorus came from Oxford, Salisbury and Gloucester; the players came from as far afield as London, a journey from whence could take the most part of a day and cost over seven pounds return.
Caroline wrote
The summer of 1775 was taken up with copying and practicing [sic] music in addition to attendance on my brother when polishing mirrors, since by way of keeping him alive I was constantly obliged to feed him by putting food into his mouth. […] As I was to take part in the oratorios, I had for a whole twelve-month two lessons a week from Miss Fleming, the celebrated dancing mistress, to drill me for a gentle woman; God knows how she succeeded.
By 1778 Herschel found himself in charge of concerts at both the Old and the New Assembly Rooms. Caroline was to sing in his 1778 Messiah as the principal soloist alongside Miss Ann Cantelo who was a pupil of J. C. Bach and his wife, Cecilia Grassi. Their brother, Alexander, lived with them in New King Street, Bath. He played the ’cello and is regularly listed in the band for many oratorios until 1810.
Herschel directed at least ten performances of Messiah, not only at the Octagon and in the Assembly Rooms, but at the Theatre Royal in Orchard Street. But his interests had been turning increasingly to astronomy. The discovery of the planet Uranus in 1781 brought him international fame and an appointment as the King’s Astronomer on condition that he moved near the King’s Court in Windsor.
The following year he directed his last Messiah at St. James’s Church, later moving to Datchet near Windsor. From then his life, and Caroline’s, was focused on astronomy, in a partnership now recognised as providing one of the key foundations of modern astronomy.
Messiah 250 brings together different groups of people through music and celebrates the history of the city’s association with Handel’s most popular work. The project will culminate in a performance of Messiah on Saturday 5 March, 2022, at St. Swithin’s Church in Bath.