With a masterpiece as beloved—and familiar—as Messiah, Handel’s great choral retelling of the life of Christ, it’s easy to imagine that there’s nothing new to be said. Harry Christophers and his virtuoso chamber choir The Sixteen prove otherwise: by 2008, when they made this recording they had over two decades’ experience with historically-informed performances of Handel. With a line-up of soloists that includes the great tenor Mark Padmore, this is a performance that combines epic sweep with a truly theatrical flair. And the great choruses—“For unto us a child is born”, “Lift up your heads” and of course the “Hallelujah!” chorus—have a thrilling immediacy when sung with the precision and clarity of The Sixteen’s handpicked singers.
- 2009
Featured On
- Armonico Consort
- Choir of Christ Church Cathedral, Oxford, Choir of St. John’s College, Cambridge, The Choir of King's College, Cambridge, George Guest, Simon Preston & Sir David Willcocks
- The Choir of the Magdalen College, Oxford, Bill Ives & Fretwork
- St Paul's Cathedral Choir, Andrew Lucas & John Scott
- The Tallis Scholars & Peter Phillips
- John Rutter, The Cambridge Singers & Royal Philharmonic Orchestra