Estimated duration

3 h 30 min., incl. intermission

Organizer

Helsingin kamarikuoron kannatusyhdistys ry

Finnish Baroque Orchestra
Helsinki Chamber Choir
Soloists from the Helsinki Chamber Choir
Nils Schweckendiek, conductor

GEORG FRIEDRICH HÄNDEL: The Messiah

The Helsinki Chamber Choir and Finnish Baroque Orchestra launch a collaboration bringing choral and orchestral music to the Finnish regions with a tour of Handel’s much-loved oratorio Messiah. With an unbroken performing tradition stretching from its world premiere in Dublin on 13 April 1742 to the present day, Messiah never fails to enthrall and move audiences with its philosophical telling of the story of Christ. “I should be sorry if I only entertained them,” the composer is quoted as saying of his success. “I wish to make them better.” The soloists will be drawn from amongst the members of the choir, showcasing the multifaceted talents of the Helsinki Chamber Choir’s singers.

The concerts are part of the Helsinki Chamber Choir’s and the Finnish Baroque Orchestra’s Lähelle tour project, implemented with the support of the Finnish Cultural Foundation. The goal of the project, which will continue until 2026, is to support the national availability of culture by taking the performances of a professional baroque orchestra and a professional chamber choir to places where something similar is rarely available.