Book now for Messiah
| Type of post: | Choir news item |
| Sub-type: | No sub-type |
| Posted By: | Malcolm Smith |
| Status: | Current |
| Date Posted: | Thu, 12 Dec 2024 |
For many of us, Messiah is synonymous with Christmas, and hearing the familiar choruses and arias signals the start of the festive season.
However Handel's most famous work covers much more of the story of Jesus than just his birth. Beginning with the ancient prophecies of Isaiah, Haggai and Malachi, the oratorio proceeds with the New Testament accounts of Jesus' birth, life, death and resurrection in music that is tender, passionate and - sometimes - downright terrifying. But there is always the underlying theme of hope and salvation.
Our soloists are:
Eleonore Cockerham (Soprano) who has sung with VOCES8 and features as a soloist on the soundtrack of the feature film The Last Duel and in season 4 of the Netflix series The Crown.
Rachel Gilmore (Mezzo-soprano) who has worked with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and sung on many recordings. She sings with the Kantos Chamber Choir and is a clerk at the Manchester Oratory.
James Micklethwaite (Tenor) who joined Garsington Opera as an Alvarez Young Artist this summer. Other recent highlights include tenor soloist in the Albert Hall for the Really Big Chorus’ Messiah from Scratch.
Terence Ayebare (Bass) studied voice and piano at the Royal Scottish Academy of Music and Drama in Glasgow and the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester. He has sung in many opera roles and as soloist in a wide range of oratorios.
This performance, conducted by our Music Director John Dunford, together with a full choir and orchestra of top players, is bound to be a very moving and memorable event, and not to be missed.
