Handel’s Messiah the ideal start to Christmas season

One of the true signals that Christmas is on the way is when Music for Galway stages its annual performance of Handel’s Messiah.

This year’s Messiah will take place next Saturday, December 12, at 6.30pm, in its usual venue of St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church, when the Irish Chamber Orchestra and Resurgam Choir will be joined by a soprano Róisín O’Grady, counter-tenor Roderick Morris, tenor Peter Davoren and baritone Brendan Collins.

Guest director this year is Mark Duley, who is well known to Galway audiences as organist of the Collegiate Church of St Nicholas, and founder-director of St Nicholas Schola Cantorum.

Music for Galway has invited historian Jonathan Bardon, author of the recently published book Hallelujah: The story of a musical genius and the city that brought his masterpiece to life, to give a talk on the fascinating history of the premiere of Handel’s Messiah in Dublin in 1742. This talk will take place at St Patrick’s National School, Lombard Street at 2pm, on the same day. All are welcome.

The performance of the Messiah will start at at 6.30pm in St Nicholas’ Collegiate Church. Doors will open 30 minutes before the start.

Tickets cost €25/ €20 concessions and MFG Friends. Booking at MFG 091 705962 / Opus 2, High Street / www.musicforgalway.