Handel wrote Israel in Egypt in the autumn of 1738, and performed it for the first time at the King’s Theatre in the Haymarket on 4 April 1739. The work broke new ground in several respects.

Charles Jennens compiled the vivid text – concerning the plagues of Egypt, the exodus of the Israelites and the Song of Moses – directly from the Bible, and Handel matched it with music of unparalleled splendour: the choir is the main protagonist, often divided into two for dramatic effect, and is accompanied by a large orchestra, including trumpets, timpani, trombones, flutes, oboes, bassoons, strings and two organs.

This is rare opportunity to hear a historically informed live performance of this masterpiece.