What were the Chandos Anthems written for?

Created from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles.

Oil portrait of composer Georg Frideric Handel by Thomas Hudson, showing Handel in a red coat with gold trim, white wig, and holding a sheet of music. — George Frideric Handel George Frideric Handel, oil on canvas by Thomas Hudson, c. 1736; in the Foundling Museum, London.

The Chandos Anthems were written by George Frideric Handel for his patron, James Brydges, 1st Duke of Chandos. During the period Handel lived at the duke's estate, Canons, he composed these 11 works for a small group of singers and instrumentalists, though they are conceived on a grand scale.12