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In the note-book he kept while in London, one of the entries
reads: "Anno 1791, the last great concert, with 885 persons, was
held in Westminster, Anno 1792, it was transferred to St
Margaret's Chapel, with 200 performers. This evoked criticism."
Haydn here refers to the Handel Commemoration Festival, the sixth
and last of the century. He attended that of 1791, and was much
impressed with the grandeur of the performances. A place had been
reserved for him near the King's box, and when the "Hallelujah
Chorus" was sung, and the whole audience rose to their feet, he
wept like a child. "Handel is the master of us all," he sobbed.
No one knew the value of Handel's choral work better than Haydn.
After listening at the Concert of Antient Music to the chorus,
"The Nations tremble," from "Joshua," he told Shield that "he had
long been acquainted with music, but never knew half its powers
before he heard it, as he was perfectly certain that only one
inspired author ever did, or ever would, pen so sublime a
composition." [See the Appendix to Shield's
Introduction to Harmony.]
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