A Grand Chorus: The Power of Music
The show started by looking at the chorus by Handel which premiered in Dublin in 1742 but from soon after was performed annually at the Foundling Hospital to raise money for the institution. On the top floor they examined the origins of the work and how it has been performed since.
On the middle floor they focus on the role of music at the hospital from the choir of hospital to the boy's band which trained boys to go into military bands. They also looked at modern interpretations of the work and I found myself dancing to "Too Hot to Handel : The Gospel Messiah". Look it up!
In the basement was a wonderful video installation called "We Are Together Because …." the result of a two year project at a community school near Lisbon tracing the project from experimental vocal warm up to a final performance. It consisted of a main screen and five smaller ones showing the students which morphed between them.
My one criticism would be that it would be helpful to give some guidance as to what order to do show as it stretches over all four floors of the museum. I was told to start on the ground floor but actually found it made more sense to start on the Handel room at the top to set the scene and work my way down.
The photo is Handel’s conducting score for the Messiah which he left to the Foundling Hospital.
Closed 31 May 2026
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