Latest News

One of the best-loved choral works, Handel’s Messiah, is to be performed by the 150-strong Worcester Festival Choral Society at Worcester Cathedral on Saturday 6^th December.

The perfect musical treat in the run-up to Christmas, the concert will feature the Meridian Sinfonia orchestra playing instruments from the period, as well as acclaimed soloists, soprano Janet Coxwell, mezzo soprano Clare McCaldin, tenor Nathan Vale, and bass Stuart Young.  Dr. Peter Nardone, Organist & Director of Music at Worcester Cathedral, is the conductor.

Ben Cooper, Chairman of Worcester Festival Choral Society, said: “We are really looking forward to presenting Handel’s Messiah this season, which has become a much-anticipated annual highlight in the City’s musical calendar.  The piece holds a unique place in the affections of audiences everywhere, so we are expecting a packed cathedral!”

With the famous Hallelujah chorus at its heart, Handel’s Messiah is amongst the most popular pieces of music ever written. At its first performance in Dublin in 1742, so many people wanted to attend that to make more room, ladies were asked to leave their skirt-hoops at home and the gentlemen their swords. The work’s reputation spread, and during its London premiere in 1743, King George II rose to his feet during the Hallelujah chorus – a tradition that is still followed today.

Established in 1861, Worcester Festival Choral Society is one of the most accomplished choirs in the region, comprising around 150 auditioned, amateur singers. The society stages three major concerts each year in the magnificent surroundings of Worcester Cathedral, performing some of the world’s ‘great choral works’. 

Tickets for the 6^th December concert, which starts at 7:30pm, are priced between £10 and £25 (concessions available), available from Worcester Live! Box Office at Huntingdon Hall, tel: 01905 611427; online at wfcstickets.org.uk; or on the door on the night.