Event Comment: At The Chapel of the Foundling Hospital. [Deutsch, Handel, pp. 799-801, notes the performance and lists the "Orchestra Bill," for this performance: twelve violins-Brown, Collet, Freeks, Frowd, Claudio, Wood, Wood Jr, Denner, Abbington, Grosman, Jackson, Nicholson, the first three at 15s. and the rest at 10s. each; three "tenners" [violas]-Rash, Warner, Stockton at 8s. each: four hautbois-Eyferd, Teede, Vincent, Weichsel, the first three at 10s. 6d. and the fourth at 8s.; four bassoons-Miller, Baumgarden, Goodman, Owen, the first two at 10s. 6d. and the rest at 8s. each; three violoncellos-Gillier, Haron, Hebden at 10s. 6d. each; two double basses-Dietrich at 15s. and Sworms at 10s.; horns and drums by Adcock and Willis at 10s. 6d. each; trumpets and kettle drums-Trowa, Miller, and Fr Smith at 10s. 6d. for a total of #17 15s. He also lists the bill for the singers: Sga Frasi, #6 6s.; Miss Frederick, #4 4s.; Miss Young, #3 3s.; Beard with services gratis; Champness, #1, 11s. 6d.; Waas, Bailden, and Barrow at #1 1s. each; six boys, totalling #4 14s. 6d.; a second Champness, Ladd, Cox, Munck, Reinhold, Walz, Courtney, and Kurz, at 10s. 6d. each, for a total of #27 16s. 6d. Servants and music porters added #4 14s. 6d. What with #5 5s. 6d. for Smith brought the total bill to #55 11s. 6d. The Constable in addition cost #3 3s.

Event Comment: Benefit Signora Frasi. At the Great Room, Dean St. A Musical Entertainment by Handel. To begin at half after six

Event Comment: This day is publish'd Judas Maccabaeus: a Sacred Drama. Set to Music by Mr Handel, as it is Performed at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. Printed for J. Watts and sold by B. Dod at the Bible and Key

Event Comment: Benefit for Beard. Tickets 5s., Tea and Coffee included. [Poems] of Milton, set to Music by Handel. To begin exactly at seven

Event Comment: At the Great Music Room, Dean St., Soho. Set to Music by Handel. 6:30 p.m. Pit 10s. 6d. Gallery 5s

Event Comment: Poems of Milton, with music by Handel. Benefit for Beard. Admittance 5s. To begin at half after Six

Event Comment: The Music for the afterpiece compos'd by Mr Stanley, with a Hunting Song (never perform'd before) by the late Mr Handel. Books of the Entertainment to be sold at the Theatre at 6d. each. [Afterpiece: a short simple compliment to their Majesties on their nuptials (Biographia Dramatica). MacMillan suggests parts for afterpiece: Dametas-$Champness; Damon-$Lowe; Priest-$Fawcett; Phebe, Delia-$Miss Young; Sylvia-$Mrs Vincent.

Event Comment: This day publish'd Semele set to Music by Mr Handel. Price 1s. As it is performed this evening at the Theatre Royal in Covent Garden. Printed for J & R. Tonson in the Strand

Event Comment: [Puff for the afterpiece]: As this Pastoral was not originally designed for the theatre, it is thought proper to give the public some account of it, and by what means it has now found its way to the stage. The Chorusses and Airs were selected from Mr Handel, and several other eminent masters, by a gentleman whose taste and knowledge in music is perhaps his least merit. Having conceived the design of a musical entertainment of this miscellaneous nature he found himself oblig'd...to connect them [the airs] by a Recitative of his own composition: This naturally produced a kind of a little drama, and the ease and elegance of the whole is the more to be admired when it is considered that the words were of necessity composed in perfect subservience to the music. The piece has been several times performed at Salisbury and greatly admired by many of the first Rank. The author, upon Mr Norris being engaged at the theatre, was applied to for leave to bring it on the stage, to which he has most obligingly given his consent. [Cast given] After an agreeable Overture, the curtain rises and discovers a rural scene, and a troop of nymphs and shepherds assembled to celebrate the Spring. Their rejoicings open with a grand cheerful chorus. We cannot say enough of the taste and execution of Mr Vernon and Miss Young in this scene. The united sprightliness and simplicity of the duet was truly admirable. [Song given, followed by a brief description of the parting of the shepherds, the announcement of Peace so they won't have to part, and special commendation for the various songs of Mr Vincent, and Mr Norris.] We will venture to prophesy that it will be more and more admired at every representation; though perhaps it may not fall in with the Taste of the Groundlings, who, like Polonius, are for a Jig or a Tale of Bawdry, or they sleep (Public Advertiser)

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties, an Occasional Oratorio "selected from the most celebrated compositions of the late George Frederick Handel." Pit and Boxes to be put together. No person to be admitted without Tickets which will be deliver'd this day at the Office in the Theatre at half a guinea each. First Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. Galleries to be opened at half past Four. Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at half after Six. This day Publish'd Price 1s. An Occasional Oratorio, as it is to be performed at Covent Garden...J. and R. Tonson. [The most provocative commentary on Oratorios may be found in [Robert Maddison's] An Examination of the Oratorios performed This Season at Covent Garden, (London, 1763) 63 pages, wherein he seeks to define the genre, then judge the performances in terms of his definition.

Event Comment: [See Theatrical Review; or, Annals of the Drama, 1 April, pp. 146-49.] Oratorio is a "Sacred Ode by Dr Brown. Adapted (by the Author of the Ode) to select Airs, Duets and Chorusses from Handel, Marcello, Purcell and other eminent composers" (Public Advertiser)

Event Comment: Benefit for the Colleges of Philadelphia and New York. Mainpiece a Sacred Ode written by Dr Brown set to select Airs, Duets and Choruses from Mr Handel, and other Eminent Composers, with the addition of several new songs. Pit and Boxes to be put together. No Persons to be admitted without tickets, which will be deliver'd at the Office of the theatre at 1!2 a Guinea each; and also at the following Coffee House, viz: the Smyrna, Pall Mall; the Mount, Grosvenor St; George's, Temple Bar; the Rainbow, Cornhill, the New York, Sweetings's Alley; and the Pennsylvania, Birchin Lane. First Gallery 5s. Second Gallerp 3s. 6d. Galleries to be opened at half past Four, Pit and Boxes at Five. To begin at 1!2 after Six (playbill). This philanthropic enterprise, of which the theatrical benefit was but a part, seems not to have born much fruit for the respective Colleges. See Letter to the Governors of the Colleges of New York, respecting the Collection that was made in the Kingdom in 1762 and 1763, for the Colleges of Philadelphia and New York, to which are added Explanatory notes and appendix. By Sir James Jay, M. D. (London, 1771). The funds collected seem largely to have been used up in a law suit. The Governor of the College of New York, Rev. Dr Johnson, asked Jay to collect funds, which he did. Alderman Trecothick wrote Dr Johnson that the funds were not safe in Jay's hands. The Governors insulted Jay, and when they found they were wrong refused to apologize. They entered a bill against him in Chancery to gain the funds. It dragged out for four years. When the power of Attorney had been given to Trecothick, he claimed that a sum of #1437 15s. 6d. was unaccounted for by Jay, and was supposed to be in Jay's hands. Jay explained the Governors had not reckoned on reimbursement for his time and expenses for two years.

Event Comment: Benefit for Increase of a Fund established for the support of Decayed musicians and their families. An Oratorio from the Works of the Late Mr Handel, performed but once. The Governors of the Fund spent #628 18s. 6d. last year. Pit and Boxes Half a Guinea. First Gallery 5s. Upper Gallery 3s. 6d. Galleries open at 4, Pit and Boxes at 5. To begin at 6:30 p.m

Event Comment: By Command of their Majesties. This day Publish'd an Oratorio: The Messiah, the Music composed by Handel. Neville MS Diary: The house very full, being the last this season. Charges: #35 (Account Book)

Event Comment: Mainpiece: Not acted these 12 years. [See 24 Jan. 1758.] Prologue written by Paul Whitehead. Boxes 5s. Pit 3s. First Gallery 2s. Upper Gallery 1s. Places for the Boxes to be taken of Mr Sarjant (only) at the Stage-Door. No persons can be admitted behind scenes, nor any Money returned after curtain is drawn up. To begin exactly at 6 o'clock. [Customary note in succeeding bills.] Receipps: #190 14s. (Account Book). @The New Occasional Prologue@As when the merchant to increase his store@For Dubious seas, advent'rous quits the shore;@Still anxious for his freight, he trembling sees@Rocks in each buoy, and tempest in each breeze@The curling wave to mountain billow swells,@And every cloud a fancied storm fortells:@Thus rashly launch'd on this Theatric main,@Our All on board, each phantom gives Us pain;@The Aatcall's note seems thunder in our ears,@And every Hiss a hurricane appears;@In Journal Squibs we lightning's blast espy,@And meteors blaze in every Critic's eye.@Spite of these terrors, still come hopes we view,@Hopes, ne'er can fail us--since they're plac'd--in you.@Your breath the gale, our voyage is secure,@And safe the venture which your smiles insure;@Though weak his skill, th' adventurer must succeed,@Where Candour takes th' endeavor for the deed.@For Brentford's state, two kings could once suffice;@In ours, behold! four kings of Brentford rise;@All smelling to one nosegay's od'rous savor@The balmy nosegay of--the Public favor.@From hence alone, our royal funds we draw,@Your pleasure our support, your will our law.@While such our government, we hope you'll own us;@But should we ever Tyrant prove--dethrone us.@Like Brother Monarchs, who, to coax the nation@Began their reign, with some fair proclamation,@We too should talk at least--of reformation;@Declare that during our imperial sway,@No bard shall mourn his long-neglected Play;@But then the play must have some wit, some spirit,@And We allow'd sole umpires of its merit.@For those deep sages of the judging Pit,@Whose taste is too refin'd for modern wit,@From Rome's great Theatre we'll cull the piece,@And plant on Britain's stage the flow'rs of Greece.@If some there are, our British Bards can please,@Who taste the ancient wit of ancient days,@Be our's to save, from Time's devouring womb,@Their works, and snatch their laurels from the tomb.@For you, ye Fair, who sprightlier scenes may chuse,@Where Music decks in all her airs the Muse,@Gay Opera shall all its charms dispense,@Yet boast no tuneful triumph over sense;@The nobler Bard shall still assert his right,@Nor Handel rob a Shakespear of his night,@To greet the mortal brethren of our skies [upper galleries]@Here all the Gods of Pantomime shall rise:@Yet midst the pomp and magic of machines,@Some plot may mark the meaning of our scenes;@Scenes which were held, in good King Rich's days,@By sages, no bad epilogues to plays.@If terms like these your suffrage can engage,@To fix our mimic empire of the stage;@Confirm our title in your fair opinions,@And crowd each night to people our dominions.@--(Poems and Miscelaneous Compositions, Ed. Capt. Edward Thompson, 1777) Covent Garden opened with the Rehearsal with alterations. I was in the Pit. Powell, from Drury Lane, one of the new managers who have bought the patent from Rich's heirs, spoke an occasional Prologue. Shuter did Bayes pretty much to my liking, adding many crochets of his own.... Entertainment The Mock Doctor,...Young Jasper pretty well by one Massey, being his first appearance on that stage (Neville MS Diary)

Event Comment: An oratorio compiled from the works of Handel