Richly illustrated with manuscripts, portraits, Sir John Tenniel's original line drawings and contemporary photographs, this is a fresh look at two remarkable stories, which takes us on a guided tour from the treacle wells of Victorian Oxford through an astonishing world of politics, philosophy, humour - and nightmare.

This richly illustrated insight into one of the most successful pieces of choral music of all time examines the composition manuscript and Handel's own conducting score, and places Handel's best-known work in the context of its times.