Hallelujah: The Gospel Messiah

Presented by choirmaster and broadcaster Gareth Malone, this programme sees Handel’s 18th-century masterpiece infused with gospel, jazz and R&B, creating an uplifting reinterpretation of this seasonal favourite. Written in London in 1741, Handel’s Messiah has been performed at London’s Royal Albert Hall more than 500 times. It’s regularly sung by amateur choral societies, specialist early music groups and spectacular massed choirs.

Handel’s masterpiece was reimagined by conductor Marin Alsop and arranger colleagues Bob Christianson and Gary Anderson. They have captured the essential core of Handel’s legendary work, but the arias, choruses and orchestration have been reimagined, adding elements of gospel, jazz and R&B.

The ‘Gospel Messiah’ has been seen regularly across the United States since it premiered at The Lincoln Centre in New York in 1993. This performance, in front of nearly 5,000 people at the Royal Albert Hall, marks the Gospel Messiah’s European premiere. Marin Alsop conducts the BBC Concert Orchestra, who are joined by the BBC Symphony Chorus and the London Adventist Chorale, along with soloists Vanessa Haynes and Zwakele Tshabalala.