In a 1784 festival commemorating Handel, Westminster Abbey presented ‘Messiah’ with 60 sopranos, 48 countertenors, 83 tenors, 84 basses, 6 flutes, 26 oboes, 26 bassoons, 1 contrabassoon, 12 horns, 12 trumpets, 6 trombones, 157 strings, assorted percussion, and an organ!