Less than 5 minutes walk from London's hectic Oxford Street, an unassuming terraced townhouse reverberates with the legacy of two musical geniuses who moved to London and revolutionised the music scene: Separated by about 250 years and a wall, Baroque legend George Frideric Handel spent 36 years in 25 Brook Street, his London home from 1723 until his death there in 1759, while in 1968, guitar god Jimi Hendrix rented an attic flat next door at number 23. The homes of both have been lovingly restored and presented by Handel Hendrix House, one of London's most unique museums and an absolute treasure trove for fans of George, Jimi or those who love good music.
Even if you’re not a classical music aficionado, you’ll be surprised by how much of Handel's music you already know: while King Charles’ coronation introduced many to the epic Zadok the Priest (the grandiose choral moment when the King was being anointed), you might also recognise it as the UEFA Champions League theme. Maybe you’ve been to a wedding where the bridal party has walked in or out to the Arrival of the Queen of Sheba? In any case you’re guaranteed to know Handel’s most famous oratorio: Messiah, with its thundering Hallelujahs.
Jimi's guitar is an integral part of the 1960s soundtrack, with hits including Voodoo Child, All Along the Watchtower and Purple Haze, along with his trademark playing style of combining feedback and distortion.
Visiting Handel Hendrix House
Last year, Handel Hendrix House completed a £3million project to open all of Handel’s house to the public for the first time, including the basement kitchen, the ground floor parlours and the front façade of 25 Brook Street so that visitors can finally enter Handel’s home through his front door.
The majority of the museum is taken up by Handel’s living space, styled as if it was 1740 with Georgian furniture, art and rugs. George and his household occupied 5 floors, from the basement kitchen, complete with water tank embossed with the initials GFH and restored using an inventory made shortly after the composer’s death, the ground floor front room in which Handel would receive his guests and aristocratic patrons, the first floor drawing room where he composed, the dining room where he rehearsed and the bedroom, where Handel most likely died, with its replica red velvet tester bed. The bed looks short to the modern eye, but the guide in the room explained that this was because Georgians often slept sitting up in order to aid digestion. Back rooms include exhibitions about Handel's operas and oratorios, the instruments used in his compositions, his patrons and singers.
Walking through the rooms where such wonderful music was composed is an amazing experience: the drawing room, where Handel wrote Messiah in just 24 days (!), with its audio-visual wall display, and the dining room where he rehearsed with singers and musicians - the music would have spilled out of the windows where delighted pedestrians gathered to listen. Jimi's flat would have been full of music too, as he spent his days listening to records, writing and jamming long into the night with his friends like Beatle George Harrison. Until the end of August, visitors can get a real insight into what this house would have sounded like with live performances everyday in both Handel's house and Hendrix's flat. We watched a wonderful Baroque trio and a fantastic blues guitarist on our visit - all performances are free with general admission to the museum. Both spaces also include several pairs of headphones where you can enjoy the music of Handel and Hendrix.
The latest addition to the museum is Jimi Hendrix’s flat in 23 Brook Street, convincingly restored and opened to the public in 2016. Styled to look like Barrie Wentzell's famous photographs for Melody Maker, the little bedroom/living room is a groovy time capsule that immediately transports you back to London's Swinging Sixties, with a vintage shawl pinned above the bed, a flower power lampshade and trendy colourful rugs. A guitar lies on the bed close to dishes of cigarette ends, a fruit bowl, peacock feathers on the walls and a bottle of Jimi's favourite Mateus wine. The legendary rocker bought all of his soft furnishings in John Lewis, just up the road on Oxford Street - he must have caused quite a stir walking into the fabric department! Jimi's British girlfriend Kathy Etchingham played a great part in helping the museum to restore the flat to how it looked when they lived there, although sadly the upstairs kitchen and bathroom have yet to be recovered, as the building is listed and this would require some major knocking through.
Opposite the low bed, a record player and vinyls take up the other end of the room. It is said that when Jimi moved into the flat and learned about his historic "neighbour", he was so tickled that he went to nearby South Molton Street and bought all of Handel's records. Already a fan of other classical greats such as Bach and Holst, Jimi's eclectic record collection can be seen on display in a side room that would have once been a storage room/walk in wardrobe/crash pad - you can see that his influences ranged from Bob Dylan to Howlin' Wolf to the Beegees.
Other rooms include an exhibition about Jimi's life and musical legacy, the first guitar he ever played in England, a film exploring Hendrix’s legendary guitar technique and his influence on other musicians, and Freddie Mercury's beloved posters of Jimi. The film incorporates previously unseen material contributed by the public through the Handel Hendrix House’s ongoing ‘Your Experience’ campaign, which collects memories, images, and stories of Jimi Hendrix. It was very interesting to learn about Jimi's early career in the segregation-era of 60s America - after cutting his teeth on the “Chitlin' Circuit,” playing guitar for Sam Cooke, Little Richard and the Isley Brothers, he was finally able to get his big break in London.
What's on at Handel Hendrix House:
Free live music every day this summer:
Musicians including harpsichordists, soprano singers and guitarists will perform every day in the Handel dining room and Hendrix's bedroom.
Until end of August
Children's activities: Summer Fireworks
This summer, as well as live music every day in the Handel dining room and Hendrix's bedroom, Handel Hendrix House is celebrating 275th anniversary of Handel’s first performance of the Music for the Royal Fireworks (also written at 25 Brook St). Fireworks themed arts and crafts activities will run throughout the summer, all designed to be attached to our temporary installation of the amazing 18th century stage in the studio. By the end of the summer our Fireworks stage will be fully decorated just like the original, covered in the artwork of visitors from all over the world!
Until end of August, free with general admission
Guitar Saturdays
Once a month, from 12-3pm, resident guitarist Nigel Jones will host a Jam session. Bring your guitar or use the ones provided and play your favourite Hendrix songs, learn how to restring a guitar and see how Jimi set up a right handed guitar to play left handed, followed by a 2 hour jam in Jimi's bedroom!
The next session will be on the 7th September (free with general admission).
Thursday talks
Weekly 20 minute talks with the Handel Hendrix House Assistant Curator at 2pm for a fascinating insight into Handel's time in Brook street, plus a Q&A.
Free with general admission
For more events including upcoming matinee performances and lectures, click here
Useful information:
Handel Hendrix House is open Wednesday - Sunday, 10:00 - 17:00 (last entry at 16:00)
25 Brook Street, Mayfair, London, W1K 4HB
Closest tube is Bond Street (3 minutes walk) - Central/Jubilee/Elizabeth Line
Tickets can be booked online in advance
Adult ticket with donation £15.40
Adult ticket general admission £14.00
Child Ticket (16 and under - as part of a family group, max 6 per group) FREE
Student ticket (over 16, in full time education) £10.00
Carer ticket FREE
Art pass holders can also visit for free, but tickets can only be bought on the door.
The whole site is wheelchair accessible with lifts to every floor.
Lockers are available for small bags only. Large suitcases will not fit in them and due to the historic floors, luggage is not allowed to be wheeled around the museum.
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Disclosure: We were given free tickets to visit Handel Hendrix House, but as always, all opinions are our own!
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