Georg Friedrich Händel (1685 - 1759) was a German, later British, baroque composer who spent the bulk of his career in London, becoming well known for his operas, oratorios, anthems, and organ concertos. Handel received important training in Halle and worked as a composer in Hamburg and Italy before settling in London in 1712; he became a naturalised British subject in 1727. He was strongly influenced both by the great composers of the Italian Baroque and by the middle-German polyphonic choral tradition.

The Foundling Hospital Anthem (HWV 268), also known by its longer title "Blessed are they that considereth the poor" [sic], is a choral anthem composed by George Frideric Handel in 1749. It was written for the Foundling Hospital in London and was first performed in the chapel there. Handel wrote two versions, one for choir only and one for choir and soloists. Composed 10 years before his death, it was Handel's last piece of English church music.

The Foundling Hospital was a charitable institution founded in 1739 by the philanthropic sea captain Thomas Coram to house and educate abandoned and orphaned children. It was established under royal charter by King George II and was supported by many noted figures of the day in high society and the arts. The portrait painter and cartoonist William Hogarth was a founding governor, and thanks to his influence, the Foundling Hospital grew to become a very fashionable charity, counting among its benefactors a number of renowned artists. Under Hogarth's direction, artists such as William Hogarth, Joshua Reynolds, Allan Ramsay and Thomas Gainsborough exhibited paintings at the Hospital, creating what is thought to be Britain's first public art gallery. The composer George Frederic Handel was invited to put on a benefit concert in the Hospital chapel to raise funds, and for the occasion he composed the Foundling Hospital Anthem. The premiere of the Foundling Hospital Anthem took place at a midday concert in the Hospital Chapel on 27 May 1749. The Chapel was not finished, and had no glass in the windows. The performance was attended by the Prince and Princess of Wales. The programme opened with Handel's Anthem for the Peace (written in 1749 in thanksgiving for the Peace of Aix-la-Chapelle); this was followed by a selection of extracts from his oratorio Solomon (1748); and followed by Foundling Hospital Anthem, billed as "The Anthem Composed on this Occasion". The anthem concluded with the "Hallelujah" chorus from Messiah, a piece that had not yet gained widespread popularity at the time. It is possible that it was at this performance that royalty first stood for the "Hallelujah" chorus, establishing a long tradition, rather than at the 1743 London premiere of Messiah attended by King George II, as is popularly assumed. The concert was a huge success for both Handel and the Hospital.

The Foundling Hospital Anthem is compiled from material originating in other works by Handel, including two movements from the Funeral Anthem for Queen Caroline (1737), a sombre chorus that had been edited out of Susanna (1748), and most notably, the "Hallelujah" chorus from Messiah, which concludes the anthem.

Handel's first version, written for the first performance at the fundraising concert in May 1749, was a fully choral score. He wrote a second version, probably arranged in 1751 for a service of dedication at the official opening of the Foundling Hospital Chapel. The Foundling Hospital's own charity children did not sing in these performances, but instead the choir was formed from the Children of the Chapel Royal. At the performance of the revised score, the soloists were John Beard (tenor), Gaetano Guadagni (castrato), and two boy trebles from the Chapel Royal.

It is not known why Handel chose to conclude this work with the "Hallelujah" chorus; the subject matter of the anthem is concerned with reward for the charitable, and Handel he may have intended to draw a theological connection with "the Kingdom of this world" becoming "the kingdom of our Lord", as illustrated in Christ's Parable of The Sheep and the Goats (Matthew 25:31–46). Equally, Handel may simply have wanted a rousing conclusion to the anthem.

Source: Wikipedia (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Foundling_Hospital_Anthe m).

Although originally created for Mixed Chorus (SATB) & Baroque Orchestra (2 Oboes, 2 Trumpets, Timpani, Strings, Continuo), I created this Arrangement of "Comfort them, O Lord, when they are sick" (HWV 268 Mvt. 5) for Winds (Flute, Oboe, French Horn & Bassoon) and Strings (2 Violins, Viola & Cello).