Adding a final flourish to the holiday season, the Los Angeles Master Chorale, led by Artistic Director Grant Gershon, presents two concerts of Handel’s “Messiah” on Wednesday, Dec. 17, 7:30 p.m., and Sunday, Dec. 21, 2014, 7 p.m., at Disney Hall.
Featuring 40 members of the acclaimed chorus, orchestra and four gifted soloists from the Chorale’s ranks, the concert provides the opportunity to hear this riveting oratorio — rich with soaring high notes, powerful bass, majestic brass and lush orchestrations — performed by what many critics consider to be the best chorus in the country. The soloists are Christina Bristow, soprano; Niké St. Clair, mezzo soprano; Arnold Livingston Geis, tenor; and Chung Uk Lee, baritone.
Composed in a mere 24 days, Handel’s 1741 English-language oratorio continues to be the composer’s most popular work and may be the most performed classical work of all time.
“Handel’s ‘Messiah’ is the ultimate musical stocking stuffer,” Gershon said in a release. “It is universally beloved and is thrilling to conduct, especially in Disney Hall with its unparalleled acoustics.”
Culture Spot LA readers can enter a drawing for a pair of free tickets to the concert on Wednesday, Dec. 17. Email editor@culturespotla.com with “LAMC” in the subject line for a chance to win. Five winners will be chosen.
The “Messiah” concerts are the last of four holiday programs presented by the Grammy-nominated Los Angeles Master Chorale at Disney Hall in December. The choir’s other seasonal offerings include the 34th Annual “Messiah Sing-Along,” Dec. 7, 7 p.m.; “Festival of Carols,” Dec. 13, 2 p.m.; and “Rejoice: A Cappella Christmas,” Dec. 14, 7 p.m.
Walt Disney Concert Hall is located at 111 S. Grand Ave. at First Street in downtown Los Angeles. Tickets range from $29 to $129. Group rates are available. For tickets and information, please call (213) 972-7282, or visit www.lamc.org. (Tickets cannot be purchased at the Walt Disney Concert Hall Box Office except on concert days starting two hours prior to the performance.)