Michael Christian Festing, a “master of the violin”, was born in London on November 29, 1705, the son of John and Elizabeth Festing. His training began with Richard Jones, an eminent violinist who led the Drury Lane Theatre Orchestra. Festing completed his violin studies with Francesco Geminiani, the Italian pupil of Corelli who made his career in England. The influence of Corelli and Geminiani can be seen particularly in Festing’s op. 1 sonatas. His later works show his continued evolution as a violinist and an important and unique voice in the violin sonata repertoire. Festing’s compositions include 32 violin sonatas, 26 concertos, six cantatas, three sets of minuets for the reigning monarch’s birthday, three odes, including an Ode on St. Cecilia’s Day and numerous songs. Festing made his debut performing a concerto of his own composition on March 6, 1723 at Hickford’s Room in London. He later joined the King’s Theatre Orchestra in the Haymarket in 1729. His first compositions published in 1730 are Twelve Solos for a Violin and Thorough Bass, op. 1. These sonatas are clearly in the style of Corelli. Like many eighteenth-century violinist-composers, Festing was influenced by Corelli’s landmark op. 5 violin sonatas. His first six sonatas use Corelli’s sonata da chiesa form, which includes a polyphonic fugal movement in each sonata, while the latter six are in the sonata da camera form. These include gigues and minuets along with the typical adagios and allegros. In 1735, Festing was made Master of the King’s Music and in 1737, he was appointed director of the Italian Opera Orchestra in London and also became leader of the Philharmonic Society Orchestra. The following year in 1738, along with two colleagues, it is reported that he saw two boys, in a sad state of poverty, driving some donkeys down the street. Recognizing them as the children of the Dutch oboe player, Jean Kytch, who had recently died, Festing contacted his friend Maurice Greene, and along with his companions and other musicians they decided to raise money for the children. Together they founded a charity, The Fund for the Support of Decayed Musicians and their Families, which later became known as the Royal Society of Musicians. Even today, it exists to relieve poverty in families of deceased musicians. Festing took a large role in managing the fund for many years. Other career highlights include accompanying the famous Italian soprano castrato, Farinelli, when he first performed in England. Reportedly, the whole band, which included Stefano Carbonelli, an important violinist and student of Corelli, failed to keep pace with the famous castrato and admitted to being astonished to the point of distraction by both the quality of his voice and its amazing capabilities. During the 1740’s, Festing was surely the most ubiquitous violinist in London. He started a successful concert series at Hickford’s room, and co-founded the Apollo Society with Maurice Greene. According to music historian, Charles Burney: "He (Festing) led during many years at the opera, at Ranelagh, at the concert at Hickford’s room, at the Swan and Castle concerts in the city, and often at Handel’s oratorios. Nor was there a benefit concert, for any English professor at that time without a solo on the violin by Mr. M. C. Festing; and yet there is not a ripieno player on the violin at the opera now, whose hand and abilities are not superior to those of Festing upon that instrument." Although Burney reports that Festing was not the greatest violinist of his time, he admits that he possessed other characteristic that enabled him to become well established and in demand within the musical community. Sir John Hawkins also speaks very lightly of his performing skills, but admits to his genius in composition, particularly for the violin. As Hawkins in his A General History of the Science and Practice of Music points out: The works of Festing were all published by himself, that is to say, he took subscriptions for them, and was not beholden for the circulation of them through the kingdom to the keepers of music shops; the consequence whereof is, that they are less known than the compositions of any other master of his time. Festing’s later works for solo violin include Eight Solos for a Violin and a Thorough-Bass dedicated to the Apollo Society, at Temple-Bar, op. 4 (1736), Six solos for a Violin and Thorough-Bass dedicated to William Morgan of Tredegar, esquire, op. 7 (1747) and Six Solos for a Violin with a Thorough Bass for the Harpsichord op. 8 (c.1750). In his dedication to the op. 4 sonatas, Festing expressed his gratitude for the current state of music in England, a sentiment well deserved during those times of intense patronage and high level amateur music making among the nobility. A glance at the subscriber list printed in op. 7 reveals a number of lords and ladies. The opening movement of the D minor Sonata op. 1, no. 8, shows that the young Festing is the equal of any Italian master in writing an adagio. Since the final Gavotta of this sonata is a mere eight measures long, I have created my own set of variations. As a model, I used Festing’s variation pieces (the opening movement of op. 1, no. 9, and the last movement of op. 7, no. 6) and also drew inspiration from his written out embellishments for Corelli’s op. 5 Sonatas. Michael Festing was clearly aware of the current state of violin technique. His sonatas make significant demands on the performer, but never for the sake of pure display. In his later works he omitted the fugal movements, and embraced the lighter galant style. Festing’s works include sudden and unusual modulations, double stops, polyphony, arpeggios, leaps across multiple strings, key changes up or down a tone, occasional trips to the upper ends of the instrument and even ricochet bowings. (see Allegro ma non troppo, op. 7, no. 6) Festing’s music was quite popular in his time. His concerts at Ranelagh Gardens where he was appointed as leader of the band and director of music, from 1742 until his death in 1752, featured not only his instrumental music, but also many songs and cantatas. The music critic John Potter in his Observations upon the Present State of Music in 1762 wrote that Festing: deserves praise and esteem as a composer of great merit. John Hawkins said: As a composer, particularly of solos for that instrument, the nature and genius whereof he perfectly understood, he had but few equals. Festing’s violin sonatas are noted for their excellent craftsmanship and showcase his exceptional knowledge of string playing technique. While relatively unknown today, they are both melodic and virtuosic and deserve to be heard and played more often.