London Handel Festival

Founded by Denys Darlow in 1978 the London Handel Festival has contributed to a Handel revival in the UK, specialising in the performance of lesser-known works of the period. In 1981 the London Handel Orchestra and London Handel Singers made their debut at the Festival. Laurence Cummings took over as Musical Director from Denys Darlow in 2002.

The London Handel Orchestra, which is made up of some of London's finest professional baroque players, and led by Adrian Butterfield, now has an excellent reputation for historically informed performance. The Orchestra performs throughout the Festival at venues including Handel's church, St George's, Hanover Square, the Royal College of Music, and the Royal Academy of Music. The Orchestra also gives concerts at venues both in the UK and Europe outside the Festival period and has performed in Gloucester Cathedral during the Three Choirs Festival, the Chelsea Festival, the Windsor Festival, the Oslo International Church Music Festival, with the Royal Choral Society and for the opening of the Queen's Jubilee in St George's Chapel, Windsor.

In 1999 the principals of the Orchestra formed the London Handel Players to explore the great wealth of chamber music repertoire composed by Handel and his contemporaries. They performed at the Celebration Concert for the opening of Handel House Museum and at Southside House for the Jubilee String of Pearls celebratory events. The annual Handel Singing Competition was inaugurated in 2002 to give young singers the opportunity to concentrate on the wealth of Handel repertoire. They are accompanied in the Final by members of the London Handel Orchestra.

The London Handel Society was established to promote the music of Handel and his contemporaries and in particular their little heard works, many of which have been brought to a wider public in the last thirty-three years. The Society also encourages young singers and musicians of outstanding promise by giving them performance opportunities early in their careers.

35th London Handel Festival 15 March to 24 April 2012 Thursday 15 March 7pm Handel Singing Competition Final 2012 Click here for details of how to enter the Competition. Friday 2 March 6pm  HSC Semi-Final Friday 16 March 7pm Gloria - Ruby Hughes and Southbank Sinfonia Baroque Saturday 17 March from 11am Sing Coronation Anthems HWV258-261 Monday 19 March 1-2pm - Lunchtime Series Carleen Ebbs Recital Tuesday 20 March Handel & Pepusch - Masterclass & concert at North London Collegiate School & St Lawrence's Church Adrian Butterfield, NLCS, RCM & Trinity College of Music Tuesday 20 March 1-2pm - Lunchtime Series Sara Deborah Struntz, Erik Dippenaar & Jadran Duncumb Wednesday 21 March 7pm Varazdin Choir Monday 26 to Thursday 29 March 7pm Handel Riccardo Primo HWV23 Fully staged production Tuesday 27 March 1-2pm - Lunchtime Series The Regent's Soloists Tuesday 27 March 7pm Indian Twilight - Ragas from an era of change Wednesday 28 March 4-5pm Talk by James Robert Carson on Riccardo Primo Wednesday 28 March 1-2pm - Lunchtime Series Keri Fuge Recital Wednesday 28 March 7pm Robert Woolley & Dominic Gwynn - organ recital and talk Thursday 29 March 1-2pm - Lunchtime Series Trinity Laban Baroque Orchestra Thursday 29 March 4-5pm Talk by Katie Hawks on Riccardo Primo Friday 30 March 7pm Inchanted Forrest - Guildhall Baroque Orchestra Tuesday 3 April 5.30-6.45pm Music, Law & Medicine Walk with Janice Liverseidge Tuesday 3 April 7pm Around Handel - Carole Cerasi harpsichord recital Friday 6 April 2.30pm Bach St Matthew Passion BWV244 Wednesday 11 April 7pm HSC 2011 Finalists' Showcase Thursday 12 April 1-2pm - Lunchtime Series Stefanie True Recital Thursday 12 April 4.45-6.45pm Mayfair Walk with Janice Liverseidge Thursday 12 April 7pm - Fringe Series The Madness of Love - International Baroque Players Friday 13 April 7pm Handel Il pastor fido HWV8 - 1712 version concert performance Monday 16 April 1-2pm - Lunchtime Series Emilie Renard (née Alford) Recital Monday 16 April 7pm - Fringe Series Conversazioni - Sounds Baroque Tuesday 17 April 1-2pm - Lunchtime Series Rêveries Musicales Tuesday 17 April 5.30-6.45pm Handel & the Royal Family Walk with Janice Liverseidge Tuesday 17 April 7pm Orphée - Ruby Hughes and the London Handel Players Wednesday 18 April 1-2pm - Lunchtime Series Rachel Kelly Recital Wednesday 18 April 7pm Royal Academy of Music Baroque Orchestra & soloists Thursday 19 April 7pm - Fringe Series Handel at Vauxhall : Music from the Pleasure Gardens London Early Opera - Lisa Rijmer & Bridget Cunningham Friday 20 April 6.30pm - Fringe Series Hasse Cajo Fabricio - modern premiere - concert performance - Ensemble Serse Saturday 21 April Musical Marylebone Walk with Janice Liverseidge Saturday 21 April 7.30pm Il furibondo - Julia Doyle & London Handel Orchestra Tuesday 24 April 4-5pm Pre-performance talk by Dr Ruth Smith Tuesday 24 April 7pm Handel Messiah HWV56 - 1742 Dublin version Please go to the Festival page for more details Booking dates: postal 15 January 2012 | online 25 January | telephone 1 February 01460 54660 Catherine Hodgson Festival Director

Laurence Cummings   Adrian Butterfield   Ida Falk Winland  Christine Rice  Sophie Bevan  Julia Doyle  Ruby Hughes  Lucy Crowe