Messiah By GF Handel

A performance of Handel’s best-known and well-loved Oratorio.
Conductor Matthew Hamilton

Soprano – Robyn Parton sites.google.com/site/robynallegraparton/
Mezzo soprano – Ciara Hendrick ciarahendrick.com/
Tenor – Ben Johnson www.intermusica.co.uk/johnson
Bass – Jamie W Hall jamiewhall.co.uk/

The orchestra is made up of baroque specialists – 6 violins, 2 violas, cello, bass, 3 trumpets, timpani, continuo cello and harpsichord. Led by Amanda Babington.

Amanda Babington is a freelance violinist and recorder player specialising in historically informed performance. Amanda recently completed her PhD – Handel’s Messiah: the Creative Process at the University of Manchester and is in the process of completing an edition of Handel’s Dettingen Te Deum and Dettingen Anthem for the Hallische Händel-Ausgabe. She is grateful to the Scottish Arts Trust for their financial assistance in the purchase of her baroque violin, made by an anonymous English maker in the 1790s.

Why is this piece so popular? Perhaps because it includes such fine music and is full of drama and excitement. Handel’s Messiah was intended as a thought provoking work for Easter and Lent but has become something of a Christmastime tradition.

Messiah was met with eager ears at its debut on April 13, 1742. He had staged a public rehearsal the day before its premier which created quite a buzz. It is said that hundreds of people were turned away due to lack of space.