Messiah Archives - North West End UK

What better way to shake of the Christmas/New Year blues than with the performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Royal Liverpool Philharmonic Hall in a tradition dating back to 1849. Handel composed the oratorio in a mere 24 days in 1741, but despite a warm reception at its premiere in Dublin, it received a cooler response at its subsequent performance in London. Nonetheless, it has since become one of the jewels of English classical music, and the light shone upon it by each conductor reveals new facets and highlights different elements, and it never fails to sparkle. Photo: Gareth Jones This year’s performance saw baritone Ben Appl, a former BBC New Generation Artist (2014-16) and current Artist in Residence at the Philharmonic, making his conducting debut. He introduced the piece ...

As the calendar ticks over into December and Christmas looms properly into view, there are certain things that can be guaranteed – that there will be arguments over whether Die Hard is a Christmas film. That you’ll buy yourself a discount advent calendar because you’re never too old. And that somewhere, choirs are dusting off their music for Handel’s Messiah. Tonight, it’s the mighty Glyndebourne opera company who have taken on the mantle, sandwiching it between performances of The Rake’s Progress and Don Pasquale as part of a three-night residency at the Liverpool Empire during their wider UK tour. In contrast to these two shows, their Messiah is set to be a more austere affair, with a simple tier of chairs for the chorus and additional seating for tonight’s four soloists. And...

Tag: Messiah

Handel’s Messiah – Philharmonic Hall

Handel’s Messiah – Liverpool Empire