Cathedral Carol Concert: Handel’s Messiah

With an ensemble of 15 musicians from London Concertante, the Chester Cathedral choir, conducted by our Director of Music Philip Rushforth, this concert of Handel’s Messiah will sure to be a sell out.

Handel composed Messiah, an English language oratorio that traces the story of Jesus Christ, in 1741. Messiah was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742 and received its London premiere nearly a year later. After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity and eventually became one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral pieces in Western music. The ‘Hallelujah’ chorus is one of the most famous pieces of Baroque choral music and the most widely known section of the work.

Founded in 1991 by a group of graduates from London’s acclaimed music colleges, London Concertante has developed a reputation as one of the finest chamber ensembles in the world. Its inspired programming, with repertoire from the Baroque to contemporary music, film scores to Viennese waltzes and Americana jazz to Argentine tango has led to both public and critical acclaim throughout its 30-year history.

The ensemble released their first recording in 1995 on its own label with a recording of Vivaldi’s Four Seasons, but has then gone on to record for Chandos, Toccata Classics, Harmonia Mundi and ARC Music.