Saturday 4th September 2010 at 7.30pm

The Great Hall, Bamburgh Castle, Northumberland NE69 7DF

Getting a Handel on the Jacobite Rebellions…

Robert Howarth, Director

Pavlo Beznosiuk, violin

Mhari Lawson & Lisa Wilson, sopranos

An overview of the programme.

 

 

This programme looks into the relationship between Handel and Scotland during the troubling times of the Jacobite Rebellions, 1715 and 1745. During this time Handel was ill at ease with the political situation as it was costing him money at the Theatre. He made his feelings quite clear in two anti-rebellion songs. It seems odd then, that the setting of one of his now most famous operas, Ariodante, should be Scotland. Maybe by showing how the problems in the opera are overcome, he could persuade the rebels to cease their troubles. Well, this was written for Covent Garden in 1735 and was a flop! It is more than likely that this was a pleasure to Charles Avison, who in that year had established himself in Newcastle. It was no secret that Avison wasn’t a Handel fan. In Avison’s Workbooks we have recently discovered Jacobite Rebellion songs scrawled in the margins. It’s doubtful that they are written or even transcribed by Avison, but they’re good tunes and serve as Handel’s nemesis in this programme. Alongside wonderful excerpts from Ariodante and Rinaldo we present Handel’s anti-rebellion songs with Charles Avison’s pro-rebellion song sketches, artfully arranged and brought vividly to life by Mhairi Lawson. Lisa Wilson takes the stage as Ginevra, the King of Scotland’s Daughter, and together they end the concert in a beautiful duet.