Holy Trinity has sung Handel’s Messiah on the Saturday nearest Candlemas (Chandeleur) since 2007. In accordance with Handel’s own practice for London’s Foundling Hospital, the proceeds of the concert go to a charity.
This year’s proceeds were divided between a Belgian medical charity for sick children, Les Projets d’Eléonore, a fund of Fondation Saint-Luc, and Holy Trinity’s Organ Restoration.
CANDLEMAS MESSIAH PERFORMERS
The 40+ singers and 22-strong orchestra are members and friends of Holy Trinity from all over the city of Brussels. The soli are:
- Soprano. Auriane Sacoman is a Masters graduate in singing from Brussels Conservatoire.
- Alto. Celia Stoddart is a choral scholar formerly of Newcastle Cathedral. She is currently a singer at Royal Holloway College, London. She will soon be a chorister of Norwich Cathedral.
- Tenor. Jonathan Halliwell is a former choral scholar of Selwyn College, Cambridge and former Songman of Lichfield Cathedral.
- Bass. Ian White began his musical career as a chorister at Peterborough Cathedral under the legendary Dr Stanley Vann. He now divides his time between teaching music at the British Junior Academy of Brussels and singing bass in Canterbury Cathedral.
TIMES AND DATES
The ensemble is directed by David Mitchell, Holy Trinity’s Director of Music. He firmly believes in taking this Baroque masterpiece at the composer’s intended brisk tempi. Therefore the entire performance will last only two hours and fifteen minutes. There will be a generous halfway pause. Drinks and snacks are on sale during the pause and at the end of the concert (about 19:00).
Tickets for this benefit concert are on sale only at the door, from 15:30: €10 and €5 (students & concessions).
Want an inside view? If you want, you can even read the musicians’ rehearsal programme.
Want to know a bit more about the origins of this great masterwork? Learn more here about Handel’s Messiah?