G.F. HANDEL: MESSIAH HWV 232

Handel’s great oratorio Messiah springs to life by way of the fruitful collaboration of Charles Jennens’ carefully conceived libretto and Handel’s supreme skill as a composer of the theatre. BCSD’s performance of Messiah, delivered by a dynamic cast in the manner of Handel’s dramatic operas, has become one of its crown jewels.

SOLOISTS
Estelí Gomez, soprano  
Jay Carter, countertenor  
Jacob Perry, Michael Jones, tenors  
Jonathan Woody, bass  

DATES & VENUES

Friday, December 5, 2025, 7:00 p.m.
The Parish of St. Matthew
1031 Bienveneda Ave, Pacific Palisades, CA 90272

Saturday, December 6, 2025, 7:00 p.m.
The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center
7600 Faye Avenue, La Jolla, CA 92037

Sunday, December 7, 2025, 4:00 p.m.                    
First United Methodist Church
2111 Camino del Rio S, San Diego, CA 92108

EVENT DURATION
3 hours with intermission

INTERESTING FACTS ABOUT THIS CONCERT

• Handel composed Messiah in a breathtakingly swift 24 days.  

• Messiah was originally conceived as a work for Easter, and its premiere was during Lent at the Music Hall on Fishamble Street, Dublin on April 13, 1742. The performance was offered as a charity event for the relief of prisoners, support for Mercer's Hospital, and aid for the Charitable Infirmary.  

• There is a long-standing myth that King George II was so touched by the “Hallelujah” chorus that he rose to his feet with the crowd following. It’s impossible to confirm the truth of this legend, since this was first recorded in 1780, almost 40 years later! Audiences today routinely stand during the “Hallelujah” chorus, as a tip of the hat to this legend.