Handel: Messiah

Handel’s Messiah is the Anglo-Saxon counterpart to Bach’s St Matthew Passion. The work is divided into three parts, in which the theological significance of Christ, the biblical Messiah, is sung. In the first part, Old Testament prophets proclaim his coming; in the second part, Christ’s death on the cross, resurrection and ascension are dealt with (culminating in the all-too-familiar Hallelujah); and in the last part, his redemptive role for humanity is further explained. For this performance, the Belgian National Orchestra collaborates with the Chœur de Chambre de Namur and British conductor Ian Page, who knows the Anglo-Saxon performance tradition (from mammoth concerts at the Royal Albert Hall to performances with period instruments) inside out.