John Christopher Smith the younger (1712-1795) was the son of Handel’s principal copyist, assistant and treasurer (who had moved from Ansbach to London in 1716). By 1725 Smith junior was receiving composition and harpsichord lessons from Handel, and two years later he joined his master’s team of copyists. In 1733 Smith wrote the English opera Ulysses, based on the final eight books of Homer’s The Odyssey, but this closed after only one performance and he did not write for the London stage again for twenty years. In the early 1750s, however, he became Handel’s permanent amanuensis and assisted in the direction of his oratorio seasons, and in 1754 he was commissioned by the celebrated actor David Garrick to write the music for The Fairies, an adaptation of Shakespeare’s A Midsummer Night’s Dream that was premièred at Drury Lane on 3 February 1755. Running for eleven performances during its first two years, The Fairies was considered a success, even reaching New York in 1786. Beard created the role of Theseus, whose vivacious hunting song “Hark how the hounds and horn” proved immensely popular. The following year Smith was to compose another Shakespearean opera, The Tempest, which also featured Beard in its original cast.

from notes by Ian Page © 2016