Handel's Messiah
Joy. Elation. All the feels.
Who’s on stage
Principal Conductor Dinis Sousa, Royal Northern Sinfonia and the Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia are joined by a quartet of vocal superstars.
What they’re playing
Hallelujah! It’s time for Handel’s Messiah! Christmas at The Glasshouse just wouldn’t be the same without this choral masterpiece.
Need to know
Price: £19 – £46
Discounts: save if you’re under 17, aged 18 – 30, a classical first timer, or a group of 10 or more people. Check the details.
Running time: 2 hours 30 minutes, including a 20 minute interval.
Age: under 14s must be accompanied by an adult.
What you'll hear
George Frideric Handel Messiah (140′)
Who's playing
Dinis Sousa conductor
Amanda Forsythe soprano
Reginald Mobley countertenor
Guy Cutting tenor
John Chest baritone
Tim Burke chorus director
Chorus of Royal Northern Sinfonia
Royal Northern Sinfonia
What's happening in the music?
This piece has it all. From anger to elation; from sorrow and rage to joy and celebration. Handel was a total master of putting human emotion into music and conveying that emotion in an amazingly direct way. His Messiah is a piece of music that’s ever-fresh and ever-powerful. Its drama and impactful melodies, performed by the combination of orchestra, chorus and vocal soloists, are a perfect start to your Christmas.
Where have I heard it before?
We trawled the internet to find some perhaps surprising ways in which Handel’s Hallelujah Chorus has been used:
- Soundtrack to Dumb and Dumber. Yes really.
- The soundtrack to classic film Thoroughly Modern Millie.
- The famously gross MTV cartoon Ren and Stimpy. Again, yes really.
- Mozart’s remix. Mozart re-worked Handel’s classic, pimping it up with all sorts of musical bling: clarinets, trombones and flutes.
- Electric Light Orchestra sampled the Hallelujah Chorus for their track Fire on High.
Plus: pretty much every classical flash mob ever. Yes, those instances when you’re just minding your own business, doing your shopping, trying to catch a flight or train, or about to stuff an unwise but delicious burger into your mouth and suddenly a full orchestra and chorus appears, singing some Handel.
Pre-concert performance from Young Sinfonia
Sage One | 2pm
Come along early to hear Young Sinfonia’s end of term performance. Programme includes:
Franz Schubert Unfinished Symphony: Allegro Moderato
Cecile Chaminade Scarf Dance: Callirhoe Suite
Samuel Coleridge-Taylor Christmas Overture
The expected running time is 25 minutes. No ticket required.
