Handel House Museum celebrates one year

Exhibition space in the adjoining 23 Brook Street will give way to a new selection of manuscripts from the Handel House Collections including an autograph page from the oratorio Esther. Visitors will also be able to browse facsimile scores in the interactive rooms.

The Museum will share its birthday celebrations with its other famous occupant, rock legend Jimi Hendrix, who would have been 60 on 27 November. On four nights, a limited audience will be able to see Handel come face to face with his Brook Street neighbour in the first pre-production performances of the new play The Devil's Interval.

In addition to special events, there will be more weekly events following the success of Thursday Live, live recitals every Thursday evening. Wednesday Highlights will give fifteen-minute insights into favourite Museum objects at Wednesday lunchtime, and Handel This will bring The Handel Bag and Costumes to families every Saturday afternoon.

Education programmes will continue to be a major part of the Museum's success. By the end of its first year, the Museum will have completed 11 cross-curricular schools projects and 17 music-making projects with out-of-school groups (such as early years, after school clubs, youth groups, hospitals and summer universities), including the Handel to Hendrix composition project and The Passion Project based on Handel's setting of Brocke's Passion.

Director Jacqueline Riding says: "I am proud that the faith shown by our supporters has been justified by such a vibrant and evocative landmark. The Museum's visitor numbers and the popularity of our events programme all prove the enduring fascination in Handel and his music. In the light of our huge success to date, we look forward with great optimism to another year of continued innovation and growth."

By November, the Museum will have seen 30,000 visitors, held over 150 public events and raised over £4 million.

Posted: 1 November 2002