Doublereed Archive - Posting 000050.txt from 2005/12

From: Oboeeee@-----.com
Subj: [DR-L] Quote of the Day...Happy Holidays to All
Date: Sun, 18 Dec 2005 18:14:14 -0500


"When H=E4ndel travelled through Chester, on his way to Ireland, this year,=
=20
1741 (to give the first performance of Messiah), I was at the Public School=
in=20
that city and very well remember seeing him [H=E4ndel] smoke a pipe, over a=
=20
dish of coffee, at the Exchange Coffee House; for being extremely curious t=
o see=20
so extraordinary a man, I watched him narrowly as long as he remained in=20
Chester, which, on account of the wind being unfavourable for his embarking=
at=20
Parkgate, was several days. During this time, he applied to Mr. Baker, the=20
Organist, my first music master, to know whether there were any choirmen in=
the=20
cathedral who could sing at sight, as he wished to prove some books that ha=
d=20
been hastily transcribed, by trying the choruses which he intended to perfo=
rm=20
in Ireland. Mr. Baker mentioned some of the most likely singers then in=20
Chester, and among the rest, a printer the name of Janson, who had a good b=
ass=20
voice and was one of the best musicians in the choir...

A time was fixed for this private rehearsal at the Golden Falcon, where=20
H=E4ndel was quartered; but, alas! on trial of the chorus in the Messiah, '=
And with=20
his stripes we are healed,' poor Janson, after repeated attempts, failed so=
=20
egregiously, that H=E4ndel let loose his great bear upon him; and after=20
swearing in four or five languages, cried out in broken English,"

H=E4ndel : "You shcauntrel [scoundrel]! tit not you dell me dat you could =20
sing at soite [sight]?"

Janson : "Yes, sir, and so I can, but not at first sight."

-Charles Burney (1726-1814) English music historian and initiator of the=20
1784 H=E4ndel Commemoration; "An Account of the Musical Performances...in=20
Commemoration of H=E4ndel," (1785)

"Bring me a bowl of coffee before I turn into a goat." =20

-Johann Sebastian Bach =20

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