The music of George Frideric Handel (1685-1759) is known by many, but few know many details of his life. This talk focusses on Handel's life and music as well as his life-long friendship with German composer Georg Phillip Telemann (1681-1767).

While Handel's Messiah is best known, his musical life was rich with other works as well. The phrase 'Friendship and rare plants' in the title of this talk may be a mystery but is strongly linked to his sense of faithfulness and friendship.

Dennis Dorwick arrived in Australia from the USA in 1976 to teach instrumental music in Geelong. He has a Masters in Musicology (Research) from the Sydney Conservatorium of Music, with a thesis on the reception and performance of Telemann’s music in Australia. Dennis' interests have broadened to include a deep interest and love of the music and life of Handel. He is a member of the American Handel Society and regularly receives reports from The Handel Institute (Britain).