An oratorio for all seasons

Mayfield Festival Choir conducted by Jeremy Summerly with the Mayfield Baroque Orchestra and soloists Holly Teague (soprano), Emma Roberts (mezzo soprano), Ted Black (tenor) and Ross Fettes (bass), all from the Royal College of Music.

Messiah was premiered in 1742 in Ireland rather than England. It is ironic that the greatest English oratorio of all time was written by a German-born composer and first presented to an Irish audience. The libretto for Messiah was expertly compiled from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer by Charles Jennens, a Leicestershire landowner. The narrative proceeds from Advent through to the Resurrection, and its 400-year old words and almost 300-year old music still sound fresh and exhilarating today. It is not clear when the practice of standing for the Hallelujah Chorus began. Perhaps King George II really did stand up at that point during the London première in March 1743, although there is no specific record that the monarch was even present at the concert. But within Handel’s lifetime it became customary. This is one of the few works of the entire Baroque period that was popular from its first performance and whose popularity has never waned to this day. A month after this concert in Mayfield, conductor Jeremy Summerly will be choosing his favourite recording of Messiah on BBC Radio 3’s Record Review.