This was swiftly followed by an intimate recital, Love, the cruel tyrant, with Laurence Cummings and Ana-Maria Rincon, at the Foundling Museum in London.  Easter weekend began on Good Friday with the Bach St Matthew Passion set in the context of Vespers at St George's - all four soloists having been finalists or winners of the Handel Singing Competition.

On 25 March the Semi-Final of the Handel Singing Competition 2008 took place at St George's with the Final on Thursday 3 April, also at St George's.

A beautiful semi-staged production of Aci, Galatea e Polifemo was performed against the dramatic backdrop of the Middle Temple Hall in London on 31 March, conducted by Laurence Cummings.

The Final of the Handel Singing Competition took place on 3 April, at St George’s Church, Hanover Square. After much deliberation by the adjudicators (Ian Partridge (Chairman), Catherine Denley, Michael Chance, Gillian Fisher and John Mark Ainsley) Erica Eloff (soprano) took the First prize and Rhona McKail (soprano) took Second Prize. Clara Mouriz (mezzo-soprano) was the winner of the Audience Prize.

A lunchtime series of concerts at St George's takes place throughout the Festival. Young musicians were also featured in (Vivaldi) Dixit Dominus on 5 April when the Southbank Sinfonia joined the Festival and on 10 April in La Resurrezione with the RCM Baroque, both concerts directed by Adrian Butterfield.

John Mark Ainsley will be giving his invaluable advice and encouragement to four singers from the London conservatoires, in a Masterclass on Wednesday 23 April at the Britten Theatre at the Royal College of Music, London.

The London Handel Players will be appearing at the Wigmore Hall, Handel at Home, on 11 April in a chamber programme exploring Handel's solo and trio sonatas and the sumptuous arrangements of arias from some of his most famous operas and oratorios.

The Festival will end with three performances of Atalanta conducted by Laurence Cummings and directed by Christopher Cowell in collaboration with the Benjamin Britten International Opera School at the Royal College of Music.