I’ll lay my cards on the table straightaway. I’m an ardent, passionate Handelian, and have been ever since hearing a performance of Handel’s Solomon at the Proms in the early 1980s. Handel’s music is a constant source of wonder and inspiration to me, weaving its way through my life. If it’s not too cheeky to adapt Dr Johnson’s famous quote, may I suggest that 'when a man is tired of Handel, he is tired of life. For there is in Handel all that life can afford'. I can count on the fingers of one hand the times in my life when Handel’s music hasn’t soothed, challenged, thrilled or inspired me.

Running The Brook Street Band gives me ample opportunity to indulge this passion, with my fellow band-members. As we approach our 20th anniversary I reflect just how lucky I am to have found such longstanding friends with shared passions. Of course, it’s not just Handel’s music that features in our musical adventures, but it has always been something of a frustration of mine that, compared to the output of many of his contemporaries, Handel’s chamber output is relatively slim. 

Handel’s two sets of trio sonatas, Op 2 and Op 5 (comprising 13 sonatas in total) are fairly well known, and have already been recorded by The Brook Street Band. However, Handel also composed a handful of trio sonatas for two violins and continuo that were never assigned an opus number, nor were they published in his lifetime. No autograph manuscripts survive either. This new ‘set’ of trio sonatas (grouped together posthumously) spans a period of roughly 35 years and several different European countries. They take us from a youthful Handel in Germany to a man at the height of his fame and success in London c1738. This is a hugely dramatic and emotional journey, following the arc of Handel’s musical life.

These sonatas are far less frequently performed, and in fact I know of only one recording of them, dating from the early 1990s. This latest recording by the Band even includes a piece not officially catalogued as a trio sonata. This is the piece we’ve called Esther, taken from the overture to Handel’s oratorio of the same name, with minimal adaptation. This is something that has become something of a BSB trademark, exploring and reimagining repertoire to fit the Band’s forces, for example its Handel Cello Sonatas, and JS Bach Trio Sonatas discs. What a great opportunity for the Band to re-evaluate these ‘new’ trio sonatas, expanding its repertoire. The Band is merely continuing a long-established tradition; music in the 18th century had a relatively short shelf life, so Handel, like so many of his contemporaries, wasn’t averse to reheating a good tune of his, finding a new incarnation for it, and thereby extending its life.

Speaking of reheating, this recording also presented the Band with a great opportunity to indulge in one of its other passions – food. It’s surprising just how much appetite you can generate when working in long intense sessions. There’s always a sumptuous feast waiting at the back of the church, inspiring us to get through that one last take!

But, I digress; back to the music. The variety within the works, coupled with the delight in hearing favourite melodies in new settings takes the listener from the eagerness and sheer energy of Handel’s youth to his more mature style, as demonstrated so ably in the trio sonata using music from his famous oratorio Saul. One of the most rewarding aspects for The Brook Street Band in getting to know this repertoire has been exploring Handel’s limitless passion for reinvention. By taking musical ideas and reusing them, developing them and giving them new life within other repertoire, Handel ensures their lasting legacy. 

The Brook Street Band's new recording of Handel's Trio Sonatas for two violins and basso continuo is released by Avie Records on March 11. Visit: avie-records.com for information