When writing about (and listening to) Handel’s Messiah, superlatives quickly lurk. And all the more so when such a masterpiece is performed at the very highest level. Last year, the RIASS Kammerchor and their city counterparts from the Akademie für Alte Musik Berlin provided a top-notch evening, this time two excellent British companies will bring you into the Christmas spirit on Sunday 8 December.

For Tenebrae, after the sold-out concert in the Martinikerk in September 2023, it is the second time in a short time that the chamber choir will descend on Groningen soil. Under the direction of Nigel Short – a former member of The King’s Singers – the ensemble has sung its way into the world’s top ranks. The British press has described the performances as “phenomenal” (The Times) and “devastatingly beautiful” (Gramophone Magazine). The equally renowned Academy of Ancient Music has been bringing ancient music to life on authentic instruments for over 50 years. Moreover, both ensembles regularly perform with each other.

A ‘Grand Musical’, Messiah was called shortly after its creation in 1741. Although Handel, then living in London, based his oratorio on biblical and church texts, it was intended for theatres and other secular stages. In three parts, the composer recounts the life of Jesus Christ. Handel himself conducted the work many times; today Nigel Short is on the podium.