G.F. Handel. Songs in Messiah, Smith no.4, the Allanson Benson copy, c.1767 or earlier

Handel, George Frideric

Songs in Messiah an Oratorio, London: Walsh, [c.1767 or earlier]

SMITH NO.4, the Allanson Benson copy, 1 leaf, 70 pages, folio (31 x 23.8cm), engraved throughout, some early manuscript additions to the vocal part of 'I know that my Redeemer liveth', with a loose inscribed paper slip ("The copy referred to in Musical Time [sic] 1925 by Wm C Smith"), near contemporary vellum-backed card wrappers, title cropped on all sides and laid down, old repairs to margins of a number of leaves, browning and staining, binding worn

EXTREMELY RARE. We have traced no copy of this issue at auction in modern times.

This copy belonged to J. Allanson Benson who discussed it in the appendix to his book Handel’s Messiah: The Oratorio and its History (1923). Smith described Benson’s copy in several articles, the earliest published in The Musical Times of 1 November 1925 (referred to on the inserted slip of paper, presumably in Benson’s hand), but by the time Smith published his Descriptive Catalogue (1960) the location of Benson’s copy was unknown to him.

We are pleased to acknowledge the kind assistance of John Greenacombe in our cataloguing of this lot.