. . .He had tried hard to please the English public as an opera composer, and the disappointment of his failure caused him a severe illness from which he suffered greatly. He lived to write some of the most lovely music the world possesses. Perhaps the most famous of all his oratorios is the Messiah. When this was sung for the first time in London the king and all present rose at the words—For the Lord God Omnipotent Reigneth. Thus came the custom of rising at the singing of the Hallelujah Chorus. Handel loved England and became a naturalized British subject. He had a house in London, which in those days must have been considered a very fine one. He was very fond of gathering bodies of musicians together.. . . Read More