Radio Community Chest has been presenting Handel’s oratorio Messiah in Sydney since 1941.
This Sydney Christmas tradition including 450 voice choir and orchestra will again take place at the Sydney Town Hall.
George Frideric Handel’s Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 and was initially composed as an Easter offering and made its debut at Musick Hall in Dublin on April 13, 1742. The text was compiled from the King James Bible and the Coverdale Psalter by Charles Jennens. The performance drew an unprecedented crowd of 700, with women following requests from the organizers to wear dresses “without Hoops” to allow “Room for more company.” While Handel’s renowned reputation was a major draw, many were also eager to see the contralto Susannah Cibber, who was embroiled in a high-profile divorce scandal at the time.
The audience was captivated from the first moment the tenor sang his piercing opening line, “Comfort ye, comfort ye my people, saith your God,” following the somber string overture. Soloists alternated with powerful choral sections, and midway through, Cibber delivered the haunting words, “He was despised and rejected of men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief.” So deeply moved was the Reverend Patrick Delany that he leapt to his feet and cried out, “Woman, for this be all thy sins forgiven thee!”
Don’t miss this breath-taking 83rd annual performance of Handel’s immortal oratorio Messiah at the Sydney Town Hall on Saturday 21st and Sunday 22nd December at 3.00pm.
Tickets from $45 are available on line here or TryBooking