George Frederick Handel (1685-1759), was a German-born English citizen who had made a name for himself in his early career as a composer of Italian Opera. His skill with this style of compositions brought him to London in 1712, having established himself in Germany and Italy. In England he found his home and with the Italian Opera style waning he began composing more cost effective oratorios in English. He refined the style through his first five oratorios, but by the time he composed his sixth, based on the prophecies of a coming Messiah and the subsequent life of Christ, he had perfected the art form. 

 Messiah (1742) was first performed in Dublin in 1742, to the consternation of English Aristocracy, to raise money for a charity that helped people in prison for being unable to pay their debts. The version that we perform today is closer to this original performance than many of the performances would have been during Handel’s lifetime. This is because the composer often rewrote the work to highlight the skills of the performers he had for each performance. Modern versions of the work were compiled off of the original score and don’t include any edits or changes Handel may have made during the rest of his life. It was first formally published in 1767, eight years after Handel’s death. 

Handel’s Messiah is the most performed choral work in the world. Yearly, it is performed by famous orchestras, community choirs, and church choirs throughout the world. Although it is often associated with the Christmas season, Handel considered it more of an Easter work, with half of the work featuring the passion and resurrection of Christ. 

This season the Central Jersey Choral Society are excited to share with you our Messiah, a work with passion and excitement that shares the story that outlives the ages.