John Christopher Smith

Handel bequeathed to Smith the keyboard instruments in his house at 25 Brook Street and his manuscripts.

After Handel's death Smith was involved with John Langshaw in a project to transcribe pieces by the composer for barrel organ.

[2] After the success of his oratorio Paradise Lost in 1760, he became artistic director of the Covent Garden Royal Theatre, a position that he was forced to relinquish for health reasons in 1772.

[citation needed] On the oratorio front, David's Lamentation over Saul and Jonathan on John Lockman's text was performed on 22 February 1740 at the Hickford's Room.

Paradise Lost, first performed on 29 February 1760, was his greatest success with words by Stillingfleet after John Milton; four later ones, all performed at the Royal Opera House in Covent Garden, were largely reworkings of Handel's music: Rebecca on 4 March 1761 on a text by Stillingfleet, Nabal (16 March 1764), Tobit (1764) and Gideon (10 February 1769), all three on words by Thomas Morell.

[5] Among his other works are five volumes of harpsichord music (1732–1763): a book of hymns (1765), a funeral service (1772) for the dowager Princess of Wales, who was his harpsichord pupil, and two cantatas: Winter, or Daphne on Pope's Fourth Pastoral (1746) and Thamesi, Isi, e Proteo in honor of Frederick, Prince of Wales.