When Handel’s Messiah first played in London, it was not a hit. Some people thought a sacred work did not belong in a theater. Then the Foundling Hospital, a new home for abandoned children, needed help. Handel gave a benefit concert there in 1749, then in 1750 performed Messiah for the charity. It was so oversubscribed that wealthy supporters were turned away, and he had to repeat it two weeks later. From then on Messiah was performed every year for the children’s benefit, raising about 7,000 pounds. Handel even left a copy of the score to the hospital in his will. Some say without those orphans, Messiah might have faded. Generosity can give your gift a life you never imagined.
