Photo credit: © Jonathan Konrath, CC BY-ND 2.0
We are eagerly awaiting the re-opening of the Handel & Hendrix in London this Thursday (18 May), following an extensive £3 million project.
Situated on Brook Street in Mayfair, the museum was home to two influential musicians; Hendrix lived in a flat at no.23 in 1968, and Handel lived at no.25 from 1723 until his death in 1759. Following Project Hallelujah, which commenced in 2021, for the first time, the whole of the building will be open to the public and the opening date cleverly coincides with the 300th anniversary of Handel moving here.
The renovations have been planned for a long time. Simon Daniels, Director of the museum, explains that “Restoring Handel’s house to its original appearance was an idea revived by musicologist Stanley Sadie in 1959. After 63 years, the Hallelujah Project will finally realise this noble ambition and ensure 25 Brook Street is an engaging, accessible and permanent testament to the fact that London was home to one of the world’s greatest ever composers.”
The project has also allowed more of Hendrix’s home to be explored. Climbing the stairs that the rock star once walked, visitors will find a fabulous new exhibition about the star within his flat.
What excites us most is that the museum explores London’s cultural scene both in the 18th century (when Hertford Street was built) and the 1960s (when lots of musicians, writers and actors frequented the area).