For many, Christmas is not complete without attending a Messiah performance. However, a full performance of Handel’s Messiah with orchestra has not been heard in Hobart since acclaimed performances by the Allegri Ensemble, then named Hobart Baroque, in 2010 and 2011 for which the choir was hailed as a “…perfectly balanced chorus…” giving “…clear, confident deliveries culminating with a breathtaking final chorus” (The Mercury).
Allegri Ensemble will be presenting two much anticipated performances of Handel’s Messiah on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th of December 2014 at Hobart’s St David’s Cathedral. Musical Director Andrew Bainbridge, Organist of St Mary’s Cathedral and Assistant Chorusmaster of the TSO Chorus, formed the choir in 2010, a handpicked, tightly-knit group of committed singers drawn from many choirs, some of whom are soloists in their own right.
First performed in Dublin 272 years ago, Handel’s Messiah is one of the best known and most frequently performed piece of Western music. For many people, Christmas is not complete without attending a Messiah performance. Legend dating back to King George II surrounds the disputed tradition of standing during the Hallelujah chorus: we look forward to seeing what our audiences choose to do!
Messiah features a stellar cast of renowned soloists, worthy of a professional choir and orchestra. Prize winner in the 2014 Hans Gabor Belvedere Singing Competition in Düsseldorf, Victorian soprano Siobhán Stagg recently made a spontaneous house debut at the Berliner Staatsoper, jumping in at short notice to learn the part of Woglinde in rein GOLD (Wagner/Jelinek). Sally-Anne Russell is a principal guest mezzo-soprano with Opera Australia and performs around Australia and in the USA, the Netherlands, Austria, the UK, Italy, Germany, New Zealand, Japan and Canada.
Performing regularly as a soloist throughout Australia, NZ and Asia, tenor Paul McMahon is one of Australia’s finest exponents of Baroque and Classical repertoire. Sydney-based Christopher Richardson is one of Australia’s most promising emerging bass-baritones and appears regularly as soloist in oratorio, opera, music theatre, recital and radio broadcasts.
Supported by a fine orchestra of top professional musicians led by Monica Naselow, formerly of the Royal Concertgebouw Orchestra in Amsterdam, these performances of Handel’s Messiah will be a major event for Hobart audiences. You can hear Messiah performed by the Allegri Ensemble at St David’s Cathedral, Hobart, on Friday 19th and Saturday 20th December. Book at Centertainment.
Caroline Miller Allegri Ensemble Publicity allegriensemble.com
