Introducing… Messiah

Why not to miss it

See – and hear – Glyndebourne’s exceptional chorus centre-stage. While most oratorios put the spotlight on the soloists, Handel’s Messiah has the chorus at its heart, showcasing its singers in everything from the exhilarating (and incredibly demanding) fugue “He trusted in God” to the rapt wonder and stillness of ‘Worthy is the Lamb’.

Glyndebourne has a long history of superb Handel productions, and this concert of Messiah continues and develops our close relationship with the composer’s music, showing just how close opera and oratorio really are in the composer’s skilled hands.

A great moment to look out for

Part II of Handel’s oratorio ends with the work’s – quite possibly Handel’s – most famous music: the ‘Hallelujah’ Chorus. Its appeal is obvious and immediate: shouts of rejoicing are passed back and forth among the choir like trumpets. Rhythms are crisp and peremptory, and the counterpoint builds up satisfyingly to an explosive, exultant climax. It’s impossible not to swept up in it.

Less obvious is the history behind the strange tradition that sees audiences rise to their feet during performances of this chorus. Many claim that George II, deeply moved and impressed by Handel’s music, spontaneously stood at this moment during the premiere, forcing the rest of the crowd to join him. But no contemporary accounts bear this out, so perhaps he was just standing up to stretch his legs, or perhaps he was never even there at all. We’ll never know the truth, so standing remains strictly optional.

Image credits: Main image – Brand X Pictures/Getty Images; image design Louise Richardson | Mozart’s Requiem, photos by Bill Knight