Born in 1685 in Halle, Saxony to a barber surgeon George showed a marked gift for music and became a pupil of the composer Friedrich Zachow where he learnt the principles of keyboard performance and composition. Although his father died when he was only 11 George’s education had been provided for and he entered the Halle University in1702 to study Law. But his great love was music and after a brief period as organist at the Reformist Cathedral in Halle George moved to Hamburg where the opportunities were better for a musician.

He joined the string section of the opera orchestra and took on some of the harpsichord duties, and in 1705 premiered his first opera Almira. From 1706-10 George travelled around Italy meeting some of it’s greatest composers of the day (including Corelli and Scarlatti) and composing many works including two operas, numerous cantatas, an oratorio and a lot of church music. During this period his fame spread throughout Europe and in 1710 he took up the position of Kappelmeister to the elector of Hannover (later to become our George I). In the same year Handel journeyed to England for the premier of his opera Rinaldo. It was greeted with such enthusiasm that Handel sensed continued prosperity and popularity in England. He won himself royal approval from Queen Anne for his Ode for the Queen’s Birthday.

In 1714 the Queen died and George I was crowned. For the coronation Handel wrote four coronation anthems - the most famous of these by far is Zadok the Priest being performed here tonight. Handel, respected by the English court “movers and shakers” took up position of musical director to the Duke of Chandos. One of his masques written for the Duke, Haman and Mordecai, is considered to be the beginning of the English oratorio. Apart from a few visits to Europe Handel spent most of the rest of his life in England and became a British subject in1726 which allowed him to be appointed as a composer to the Chapel Royal.

From 1720 to 1728 the operas performed at the King’s Theatre in London were staged by the Royal Academy of Music and Handel wrote the music for most of them. His operatic popularity went into decline after John Gay’s The Beggar’s Opera in 1728 satirised the Italian style for which Handel was noted. Handel did not stop writing operas however and ended up writing more than 40!
With the decline in popularity of opera came a surge in the popularity of the oratorio - a piece of music for orchestra and singers often dramatising a part of the Bible and sung in English. Handel capitalised on this and in 1733 penned the oratorios Deborah and Athalia.

In the mid 1730s Handel appears to have suffered from a mild stroke and, after his convalescence, wrote his two of his greatest oratorios - Saul and Israel in Egypt. Due to competition from other composers, other opera houses and the fall in popularity of Italian opera Handel’s opera company went bankrupt - some think this brought on his stroke. Afterwards Handel helped set up the Fund for the Support of Decayed Musicians (now the Royal Society of Musicians).

In 1741 at the height of his popularity Handel wrote his most famous oratorio Messiah which today is still one of the most performed large scale choral works. Handel gained popularity not only with the aristocracy with such works but also with the rising middle classes of the time. During his lifetime Handel‘s music was recognised as a reflection of the English national character with an ability to sense the common mood of the day. Nowhere was this better illustrated than by the public acclaim for his Music for the Royal Fireworks in 1749.

By now though Handel’s sight was failing and he had great difficulty finishing his last oratorio Jephtha which was performed in 1752. He died in 1759 aged 74 and was buried in Poet’s Corner in Westminster Abbey - one of the highest honours that could be afforded to a composer who, despite not being born English, is considered to be one of the greatest English composers of all time whose work is performed regularly to this day.

These reflected the fullness and richness of the opera seria style, but released him from the restrictions of the genre and appealed more to English Protestant sensibilities.
During the last years of his life he was nearly blind, but he continued to conduct performances of his works and revise some of his scores.