From the Archives: Handel and red herrings

Handel was the first composer to have a public statue raised to his fame (Vauxhall Gardens) and the first composer to have a collected edition of his works produced (by Samuel Arnold in the period 1784-1794). In addition he was also the first to have a full-length biography published, in the year following his death: Memoirs of the life of the late George Frederic Handel : to which is added a catalogue of his works and observations upon them by John Mainwaring (1735-1807).  London: Printed for R. and J. Dodsley, 1760. 

This copy was of the biography was formally owned by Charles John Woodhouse (10 February 1879 – 2 May 1939) [Member 00074], a violinist, whose ownership signature at the age of 18 is found on the front end-paper. 

Woodhouse joined the RSM on 2 March 1902; his application states he was a “Violinist at Royal Italian Opera, Queen’s Hall Orchestra etc.”. He was involved with RSM as a Member of the Dinner Committee of the Anniversary Festivals until the end of the year 1909. A scrapbook of the Anniversary Festival of 1908, in the Whitehall Rooms of the Hotel Metropole, reveals Woodhouse’s name in the committee printed in the programme, and also shows the seating plan for that evening.  Woodhouse is opposite Ernest Yonge (1878-1954), another violinist in the Queen’s Hall Orchestra. Unfortunately the scrapbook only lists the various drinks and not the food menu so we’ll never know if herrings of any colour were on the plates that evening.