LONDON.- The composer George Frideric Handel was one of the noted philanthropists of the eighteenth century using his reputation as the leading composer to support charitable causes. He was a benefactor of the Foundling Hospital, Britain’s first home for abandoned and illegitimate babies, giving regular benefit performances of Messiah in the Hospital chapel to raise significant sums of money to support the children and making the Hospital a beneficiary of his will.

The Foundling is marking the 250th anniversary of Handel’s death (14 April 1759) with the exhibition Handel the Philanthropist. The exhibition is one of only two planned in London for this important anniversary and will focus on his charitable life, drawing the parallel between the eighteenth century and our own times, when philanthropy is again a significant force for social change and an activity with which individuals wish to become involved.

The exhibition will draw on the rich holdings of the Gerald Coke Handel Collection at the Foundling Museum, which includes Handel’s will, with a loan from the Royal Society of Musicians of manuscript documents and art works rarely seen by the public. There will also be manuscripts and art works from the British Library; the Royal College of Music; the library of King’s College, Cambridge; the London Metropolitan Archives and the National Portrait Gallery. Items from the Foundling Museum’s collection that will be on display include the fair copy of Messiah that Handel left to the Hospital in his will as well as the modern musical chairs that visitors can relax in, listening to different pieces and genres of music by Handel.

2009 is a significant year for Baroque music; in addition to celebrating the life of Handel it is also the 350th anniversary of Henry Purcell’s birth. The Foundling has already been used as a film venue for a significant number of programmes to be broadcast at the time of these anniversaries. The Museum is a partner of the Baroque 09 group of cultural venues and organisations celebrating the Baroque era which includes the Victoria and Albert Museum, Handel House Museum, BBC Radio 3, Royal Opera House and The Sixteen who will also be performing at the Foundling during the exhibition.

Handel the Philanthropist and the exhibition’s associated activities will be the most significant celebration dedicated to Handel highlighting his musical achievements as well as his personal contributions to social welfare and charitable causes. The exhibition will be accompanied by a programme of diverse and exciting events which will include a fantastic programme of talks to support the exhibition, including gallery talks and lectures by leading Handel scholars. There will be numerous concerts and performances of Handel music by leading guest performers including several events as part of the London Handel Festival. A facsimile publication of Handel’s will, which includes a large number of bequests including those to the Foundling and the Decay’d Musicians, will be published during 2009.