Ilkley and Otley Choral Societies will sing Handel’s Samson The combined choruses of Ilkley and Otley societies are currently rehearsing for their joint performance of Handel’s Samson at St Margaret’s Church, Queen’s Road, Ilkley, on Saturday, May 17 at 7pm.

Handel’s Samson is considered by many to be one of Handel’s finest dramatic works.

The work is usually performed as an oratorio but has occasionally been staged as an opera.

The well-known arias “Let the bright Seraphim” for soprano and “Total Eclipse” for tenor are greatly admired. “Total Eclipse” in which Samson bewails the loss of sight was known in later years to move both Handel and the London audience to tears, as Handel, spending the last ten years of his life blind, sat unseeing at his harpsichord during the oratorio performances.Handel began composing Samson immediately after completing Messiah, on September 14, 1741.

The work was completed in 1742, with the premiere given in 1743 at the Covent Garden Theatre, London, where it ran for eight performances. It was a great success and was popular throughout Handel’s lifetime.

The work uses a libretto by Newburgh Hamilton who based it on Milton’s Samson Agonistes, which was based on the figure of Samson in Chapter 16 of the Book of Judges.

The tickets for this concert are available from choir members or from the Grove Bookshop, Ilkley.