A public entertainment to distract attention from an unpopular ruler has a long tradition. What, after all, was the Roman Colosseum built for?.
In 1717, the exceedingly unpopular King George I of England thought he’d give it a try, and so he enlisted court composer George Frederic Handel to write some music for a floating concert on the Thames. King George remained unpopular, but folks by the thousands lined the river banks to hear Handel’s Water Music, our featured work this Sunday.
