 The second concert was at the Foundling Museum and was entitled Happy Birthday Mr Handel. It was to celebrate the 331st Birthday of the composer who was a benefactor of the Foundling hospital that once stood on the site. If you have not heard of the Foundling Museum, you are missing a treat. The story of the first secular children's charity in this country, the first public picture gallery and the beginnings of charity and art and music coming together to raise money is a fascinating one. Thomas Coram was horrified to see the numbers of abandoned children in London in the 1700s and determined to do something for them. It took him 17 years but he did it and the Foundling Hospital looked after 27000 children until it closed its doors in the 1950s, although its work for children is continued today by its successor charity Coram. The museum chronicles the story of the Hospital and of the work of Thomas Coram and the artists and musicians who supported it. It is a fascinating story and a wonderful, child friendly museum. Do Go!
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Poems for Valentine’s Day with some link (however tenuous) to the City of London by a few of the City's Literati The Rising Sun, John Donne: Busy old fool unruly Sun, Why dost thou thus, Through windows and through curtains call on us? Must to thy motions lovers’ seasons run? Saucy pedantic wretch, go chide Late school boys and sour prentices. Go tell court huntsmen that the King will ride. Call country ants to harvest offices; Love, all alike, no seasons knows nor clime, Nor hours, days, months which are the rags of time. Thy beams so reverend, and strong Why shoulds’t thou think I could eclipse and cloud them with a wink Btu that I would not lose her sight so long. If her eyes have not blinded thine, Look and tomorrow late tell me, Whether both the Indias of spice and mine Be where thou left’st them, or lie here with me. Ask for those kings whom thou saw’s t yesterday And thou shalt hear, “All here in one bed lay” She is all states and all princes I; Nothing else is; Princes do but play us; compared to this, All honours mimic; all wealth alchemy. Thou, Sun are half as happy as we, In that the world’s contracted thus; Thine age asks ease, and since thy duties be To warm the world that’s done in warming us. Shine here to us, and thou art everywhere; This bed thy centre is; these walls thy sphere .John Donne, 1572 – 1631 Born in Bread Street, Dean of St Paul’s Cathedral Parliament of Foules, Geoffrey Chaucer: For this was on Saint Valentine’s day, When every fowl comes there his mate to take, Geoffrey Chaucer, 1343-1400 Born and lived for some of his life in London Sonnet 29, William Shakespeare: When in disgrace with fortune and men’s eyes I all alone beweep my outcast state And trouble deaf heaven with my bootless cries And look upon myself and curse my fate Wishing me like to one more rich in hope Featured like him, lie him with friends possessed Desiring this man’s art and that man’s scope With what I most enjoy contented least; Yet in these thoughts, myself almost despising Haply I think on thee, and then my state, Like to the lark at break of day arising From sullen earth, sings hymns at heaven’s gate; For thy sweet love remember’d such weal brings Tat then I scorn to change my state with kings. Ophelia in Hamlet, William Shakespeare: To-morrow is Saint Valentine's day, All in the morning betime, And I a maid at your window, To be your Valentine. Then up he rose, and donn'd his clothes, And dupp'd the chamber-door; Let in the maid, that out a maid Never departed more William Shakespeare 1564-1616 Lived and worked in London Diary of Samuel Pepys: 14 th February 1662 This morning in comes W. Bowyer, who was my wife's Valentine, she having, at which I made good sport to myself, held her hands all the morning, that she might not see the paynters that were at work in gilding my chimney-piece and pictures in my diningroom. 14th Feb 1667 This morning come up to my wife's bedside, I being up dressing myself, little Will Mercer to be her Valentine; and brought her name writ upon blue paper in gold letters, done by himself, very pretty; and we were both well pleased with it. But I am also this year my wife's Valentine, and it will cost me £5; but that I must have laid out if we had not been Valentines. So to bed. 1668 14th (Valentine's day). Up, being called up by Mercer, who come to be my Valentine, and so I rose and my wife, and were merry a little, I staying to talk, and did give her a guinny in gold for her Valentine's gift. There comes also my cozen Roger Pepys betimes, and comes to my wife, for her to be his Valentine, whose Valentine I was also, by agreement to be so to her every year; and this year I find it is likely to cost £4 or £5 in a ring for her, which she desires Samuel Pepys 1633 1703 Diarist, born and lived and worked in London |
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