Over the course of the evening Richard Powell will take us through Handel’s Messiah explaining how the composer used the piece to tell the story of salvation in Christ. There will be no choir, it will just be a straight presentation from Richard who at times will demonstrate by playing something on the piano or playing a recorded snippet of the Messiah from his laptop. At different points he will hand over to Stuart Currie who is an experienced art historian (having previously lectured at university level) who will talk through related pieces of art that depict the life, death and resurrection of Jesus.
The presentation will last for about two hours with a twenty minute interval during which wine and canapés will be served.
Clearly this event won’t be for everyone. But the message we’re keen to get out there is that it isn’t only for classical music lovers! It’s certainly true that Handel’s Messiah is a well-known piece of music and each year lots of people flock to the Cathedral just before Christmas to hear it sung, however Richard and Stuart won’t be expecting we know it well, they’ll just be seeking to “proclaim Jesus” (Colossians 1:28) in a fresh and creative way that will be engaging for many of us and our friends.
So do get hold of a ticket this Sunday from Mark Gillam (EB), Anna Harcourt (EW) or Matthew Weston (ECC). Don’t worry if you don’t have a friend to bring – just come yourself!
