Camerata Chicago - Handel's 'Messiah'

About this event

Heralding the Christmas season, Camerata Chicago and Camerata Chicago Chorus will feature Part I of George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah,” HWV 56 — traditionally known as the Christmas section — followed by the jubilant “Hallelujah” chorus from Part II, sung first by the chorus and repeated as an audience sing-along.

The concert, led by founder and music director Drostan Hall, opens with Handel’s celebratory “Zadok the Priest,” HWV 258, for orchestra and chorus, an anthem written for the coronation of England’s King George II. The text is derived from the biblical account of the anointing of King Solomon by Zadok and the public’s rejoicing.

The piece opens with a long suspenseful build-up leading to the chorus’s glorious entry.

Hall sees a spiritual connection between these works. “’Zadok’ is about the anointment of an earthly king, recognized by God and the Church,” he says. “‘Messiah’ is about the arrival of the heavenly king.”

Soloists are countertenor Key'mon Murrah, mezzo-soprano Camille Robles, tenor Daniel Luis Espinal, and bass-baritone Laureano Quant.