This year, the performance of Messiah commemorates of the 275th Anniversary of the first performance of this great Oratorio in Dublin, Ireland in 1742. On Sunday, December 17 at 6:00 p.m., Director James Steven Harter – Minister of Music and Arts at First United Methodist Church –will conduct a performance of Messiah with the Chancel Choir and orchestra. Well-known professional singers Amy Maples, soprano; Valerie Nicolosi, mezzo-soprano; Daniel Fosha, tenor; and Peter Tuff, baritone will complete the musical forces. Audiences attending the performance will have the opportunity to connect with the timeless traditions surrounding Messiah, including standing for the Hallelujah Chorus which dates to the time when English King George II, so moved by the music, stood in amazement.
Undoubtedly the most revered sacred choral and orchestral composition ever written, Handel’s Messiah was completed in just 24 days of feverish work on September 14, 1741. Handel chose Dublin for the premiere because him and his music had gained great popularity with Irish audiences. The composer wanted all the ticket proceeds to benefit orphanages and a debtor’s prison. Messiah, with its great choruses and beautiful melodies, has continued its tradition of elevating the human spirit with the eternal magnificence of great music.
