Messiah 2012

The Royal Choral Society’s performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall forms an important part of Great Britain’s choral tradition. For 134 years, the RCS has given the Good Friday performance of the world’s favourite sacred work in London’s greatest concert venue.

The choir performed Messiah in its very first season – 1873/4, but it was in 1878, with 1,000 singers under the baton of Joseph Barnby, that the Easter tradition was established. It is thought that the Royal Choral Society has sung the work more than any other choir – something over 272 times. There have also been a number of recordings, most recently in 1994 with the RPO conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes.

From the earliest days, the finest orchestras, conductors and soloists have joined the RCS on Good Friday. Recent soloists read like a ‘roll-call’ of the world’s leading singers. They have included Kathleen Ferrier, Peter Pears, Owen Brannigan, Webster Booth, Jon Vickers, Janet Baker, Robert Tear, Benjamin Luxon, Felicity Palmer, Thomas Allen, Kiri Te Kanawa, Susan Bullock, Michael Chance, Willard White, Lesley Garrett and many more. We continue this great tradition at the Royal Albert Hall next Good Friday, Friday 6th April 2012.

Tickets are available from: tickets@royalchoralsociety.co.uk or via 020 7376 3719. This a messaging service, please leave your ticket requirements and contact details and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Tickets booked by RCS members and Friends attract a 10% discount on the Royal Albert Hall Box office prices.

If you are interested in advertising in our programme please contact Virginia Edwyn-Jones at the RCS office on 020 7376 3718

 

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Friday 6th April 2012, 2.30pm

Venue: Royal Albert Hall

 

The Royal Choral Society presents its renowned Good Friday performance of Handel’s Messiah in this, its 140th Anniversary Season, featuring the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra and a stellar line-up of soloists, conducted by the choir’s Music Director, Dr Richard Cooke.

Created in 1871 as the house choir for the Royal Albert Hall, the choir gave its inaugural performance on 8th May 1872 in a concert which included the Hallelujah Chorus. The choir then performed Messiah in its 1873/74 season but it was not until 1878, with over a thousand singers under the baton of Joseph Barnby, that it was first performed at Easter and the Good Friday tradition was launched.

The Royal Choral Society’s annual performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall has established itself as one of the defining interpretations of Great Britain’s favourite choral master piece and it is thought that the Royal Choral Society has sung the work more than any other choir – over 265 times. There have also been a number of recordings, most recently in 1994 with the RPO conducted by Owain Arwel Hughes.

 

Soprano, Mary Bevan
Mezzo Soprano, Wendy Dawn Thompson
Tenor, Jamie MacDougall
Bass Bariton, Derek Welton

CONDUCTOR RICHARD COOKE
ROYAL CHORAL SOCIETY
City of London School for Girls
ROYAL PHILHARMONIC ORCHESTRA

 


To buy tickets, contact tickets@royalchoralsociety.co.uk or 020 7376 3719. Please note that this is a messaging service; leave your ticket requirements and contact details and we will get back to you as soon as possible. Please note: tickets bought by RCS members and Friends attract a 10% discount off the Royal Albert Hall Box office prices. If you are interested in advertising in our concert programme, please email our Marketing Manager, Jackie Freshfield, at marketing@royalchoralsociety.co.uk


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