By Peter Simpson, The Big Beat, The Ottawa Citizen
On July 17, 1717, King George I sat on a barge on the Thames and listened to the new entertainment he’d ordered up for the occasion – Handel’s Water Music, which musicians performed on an adjacent barge. The king liked his royal-command treat so much, he ordered it to be played three times. The musicians who performed Water Music while floating down the Rideau Canal on Sunday morning likely know the feeling.
Read more: Handel’s Water Music live, on a pirate boat, on the canal, with video
Related stories:
- The Royal Ottawa audience graced by performance of Handel’s Water Music, Ottawa Citizen, July 8, 2012
- Music and Beyond: Warm welcome for Bach’s glorious Six Motets, Ottawa Citizen, July 9, 2012
- Music and Beyond: Concert an awe-inspiring treat, Ottawa Citizen, July 9, 2012
- Underground music, A Cold War evening at the Diefenbunker, Ottawa Citizen, July 9, 2012
