An increasing number of people are seeking to avoid the over-commercialisation of Christmas by turning to simpler celebrations of its spiritual meaning.
A favourite expression of this meaning is Messiah, an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer.
An oratorio is a large musical composition featuring instruments, a choir and soloists.
Unlike opera or musical theatre, there is little interaction between the characters and no props or elaborate costumes.
Messiah was first performed in Dublin on April 13, 1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later.
After an initially modest public reception, the oratorio gained in popularity, eventually becoming one of the best known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.
It is especially famous and well-regarded for its Hallelujah chorus.
Conceptually, the work was perhaps best described by the early-music scholar Richard Luckett as “a commentary on Jesus Christ’s Nativity, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension”, beginning with God’s promises as spoken by the prophets and ending with Christ’s glorification in Heaven.
Since this oratorio deals with such sacred topics, it is appropriate that it is performed in a church and, in great news for the Hastings community, excerpts will be presented by Hastings Choristers, accompanied by Heather Moen-Boyd on Pipe Organ, at the Port Macquarie Baptist Church (McIntyre Close) on December 3 and 4.
The concert program consists mainly of Messiah choruses with some recitative and solo work from talented singers who are part of the choir. Guest organist Heather Moen-Boyd has performed with Hastings Choristers on several occasions and returns to again thrill audiences with her amazing talent on the beautiful organ and wonderful acoustics of the Baptist Church.
With such well-known music on offer, these concerts are sure to sell out quickly, so don’t delay purchasing your tickets from the Glasshouse Box Office for Saturday, December 3 at 8pm (doors open 7.15pm) or Sunday, December 4 at 2pm (doors open 1.15pm).
There is a pre-concert introduction 15 minutes prior to each concert to ‘set the scene’.
