Messiah

When the Bishop of London banned
religious-themed works from London
theatres in the 1730s, Handel saw
an opportunity to maintain the
public’s appetite for sacred stories
and dramatic music. He created
the oratorio ‘Messiah’ for concert
performance in sacred buildings.
Part German Passion, part English
Anthem, part Italian Opera,
‘Messiah’ changed the landscape of
vocal music in Britain and has held
audiences awestruck for nearly
three centuries – a towering and
inspired creation for soloists, chorus
and Orchestra that still brings
audiences to their feet.