CHAPTER XXIV

THE FIREWORK MUSIC AND THE FOUNDLING

HOSPITAL

ONE of the chief factors in the success of Handel's season of 1748-49 was the conclusion of the war, and the signing of peace at Aix-la-Chapelle in October 1748. The effect of peace, even though it was destined to be but short-lived, had a magical effect upon the whole community. Money, which had been tight" since '45, became liquid again. A strong Government was in power, and soon after the peace was signed it proved its power by reducing the Bank rate to 3 per cent. and succeeded in getting the money. Such a rate had not been heard of before. The cautious merchant who lent his savings "neither to Jew nor Gentile, but only to the Government," held up his hands in horror. His whine passed unheard ; 3 per cent. remained the Bank rate after the peace, for more than a hundred and fifty years.

Oddly enough, it was not until the better conditions of life, which the peace secured, reminded the people that the cessation of hostilities had not been celebrated, that a day for national rejoicing was decided upon. The populace had taken but little notice of the war, a war which had only impinged upon the life of the community at odd times with a jarring note. After all, it was remote, and news was tardy, so that the peace had to prove itself a public benefactor before London recognised that a new and better influence had fallen over the national life.

The King demanded that the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle should be celebrated, possibly because he wished to cover the belittling conditions which the treaty involved, and in February 1749 preparations were begun. It was like trying to whip to life a corpse. The Government lent its aid. Had not the

French given up Madras, and the British Cape Breton Island ? But so far not the voice of a single cannon had hurled rejoicing to the winds.

Handel was sent for by the Court, and instructed to prepare music immediately, for what was to be the greatest celebration of peace in the history of the nation. In the centre of the Green Park an enormous wooden building was constructed, and a hot-headed Italian, Chevalier Servandoni, was given the task of designing the fireworks and letting them off. The excitement of London grew as the building in the Green Park assumed enormous proportions. No one knew what was going to happen. Then, presently, when they had run the unsightly affair to a height of over one hundred feet, and built wings on to it extending north and south, the crowds that gathered to watch this modern Babel in its forming became more inquisitive still. For now the carpenters began to put upon it the gorgeous arms of the Duke of Montagu, since he had probably footed the bill. They constructed a huge musicians' gallery, and erected over it a crude figure of Peace attended by Neptune and Mars-or so the crowd was left to surmise from the atrocities in wood which leered down from aloft. Then, greatest triumph of all, they crowned the whole contraption with a great bas-relief showing King George handing out peace to Britannia, a portrait no more like George than it was like Heidegger. At the summit of that was a great pole uplifting a vast sun which, on the night of celebration, burst suddenly into flame after several abortive efforts to light it, and blazed with such power that the whole Park was lit as by the light of day.

Handel, with his speed of composition, was ahead of schedule time with his music. True, the autograph bears no dates, but he was able to give a full rehearsal in Vauxhall Gardens on 21st April, six days before the celebrations were to begin. Twelve thousand people went to that rehearsal and paid 2s. 6d. each for admission. So great was the press of carriages that all traffic was held up on London Bridge for over three hours. Nothing but the music was to be rehearsed at Vauxhall Gardens, there were to be no fireworks, no decorations, and a mob of this calibre went to hear it. The fact

The Vauxhall Rehearsal

proves the grip which Handel had begun to acquire on the people. Can one imagine a crowd of twelve thousand persons pressing to hear a single rehearsal of the music of anybody in these days? Holding up London Bridge. And a press of lackeys and footmen so thick with the carriages at the entrance to the Gardens, that pushing and high words developed into free fights into which some of the quality were drawn against their will. Duchesses were hustled by scrambling shopkeepers from Cheapside; the beauties of Hanover Square had their dresses torn, their coifs disordered. Yet they never relaxed from their purpose, but went on and heard Mr Handel. His hold upon the imagination and affection of the people was never stronger.

The Vauxhall rehearsal was merely a soupçon of what was to follow on Tuesday the 27th. Not only were all the entrances to the Park thrown open on that day, but a breach, nearly fifty feet in length, was cut in the park wall to enable the crowds ample entrance and exit. One hundred and one brass cannon had been installed near the huge wooden building to thunder out a Royal salute that should start the firework display; eighteen more smaller ordnance were under the musicians' gallery to fire single shots during Handel's music, and so give colour to the wild rejoicing in his notes.

The King was enchanted. Why had he not thought of this after Dettingen? He had had the men-the gunsHandel. His excitement was intense. He changed his uniform twice in the first two hours. He appeared in the crowd, with a kingly smile of approbation. He inspected the huge wooden building, the galleries, the engineer's arrangements, and found them good. He gave a heavy purse of money to be distributed among those who had achieved the construction. He reviewed the Guards from the garden wall. For three hours he reviewed Guards.

With the coming of night the crowds grew more dense, and the air for April was close and dust-laden, since there had been no rain for many days. Coaches struggled through the masses in the side streets, or were turned back. Thieves enjoyed a wild orgy without let or hindrance. The town was let loose. Handel had prepared a magnificent band, worthy of the