Handel's Dettingen Te Deum, and Dixit Dominus

I thought it would be useful to mark our new season with a few notes about the first two works we are learning.
The history of Dettingen Te Deum seems to be a series of miscalculations on the part of Handel.  It was composed to mark the 'victory' of the Pragmatic Army (combined British, Hanoverian and Hessian troops) over the French army in the Battle of Dettingen on 27th June 1743, which turned out to be an opening skirmish in the extended war of the Austrian succession.  Handel, the Royal composer, intended his piece to mark the triumphant homecoming of the victorious George II who, as history demonstrated, would be the last 'British' monarch to lead his army in battle.  Several problems ensued.  Firstly, the victors may have won the battle but, as mentioned, the war had a further 5 years to run - was the nation ready for a work of such victorious pomp and pageantry as this?  Secondly, George II had no imminent plans to return home, and rather favoured spending the remainder of the summer in his native Hanover.  When he did return, later in November, Handel's attempts at a performance were further impeded by the anniversary of Queen Caroline's death.  Handel's plan was presumably for a grand celebratory event with large scale forces in a big venue, perhaps St Paul's Cathedral.  In the end, he had to make do with a more routine performance during the morning service in the Chapel Royal on Sunday 27th November 1743.  Quite how the small chapel coped with an orchestra including three trumpets, timpani, not to mention 5 part chorus and soloists, we can only imagine!  That Handel pours the best of his creative genius into this music is beyond doubt.  From the military 'march-like' opening through the wonderful variety of movements, we hear music of the highest quality.
Dixit Dominus, a setting of psalm 110, sees an inspired young Handel at the very outset of his three year visit to Italy (1707-1710). Scored for string orchestra and, again, for 5 part chorus and soloist, the effervescent Italianate music fuses a wide range of musical styles in a remarkably mature manner, including opening and closing movements which are based around a cantus firmus which is a fragment of a Gregorian Chant.  Both vocal and instrumental writing make considerable demands on performers.  One imagines that, as well as drawing inspiration from his Italian hosts, the young Handel had a few points to make about his growing status as a musician of international repute by setting down a stern challenge for the Italian musical cognoscenti.
It truly is a privilege to be able to bring this music to St Ives audiences for the first time.  If future rehearsals are anything like as enjoyable as the first few, then the choral society is in for a splendid season!