Overview
Event Description.
This oratorio was composed in the spirit of Mendelssohn’s baroque predecessors Bach and Handel, whose music he greatly admired.
It was first performed on 26 August 1846 at Birmingham Town Hall in its English version (which we sing at this concert), conducted by the composer, and it was immediately acclaimed a classic of the genre. As The Times critic wrote: ‘Never was there a more complete triumph – never a more thorough and speedy recognition of a great work of art’.
Featuring a full quartet of soloists the work stands second only to Messiah in its enduring popularity with singers and audiences alike.
