A Chamber Music "Messiah" (1745 London Revival)

The King's Counterpoint is excited to present "A Chamber Music Messiah" (1745 London Revival Edition)

Originally composed for the Easter Season, Handel’s autographed Messiah manuscript contained movements that are not the versions we are familiar with today.

Handel introduced the work in London at the Covent Garden theater in 1743, but the first performance was overshadowed by views expressed in the press that the work's subject matter was too exalted to be performed in a theatre. In an attempt to deflect such sensibilities, in London Handel had avoided the name Messiah and presented the work as the "New Sacred Oratorio".  Nonetheless, Messiah's inital reception in London was lukewarm, which led Handel to reduce the season's planned performances and not to present the work at all in 1744.  

At the librettist's request, Handel made several changes in the music for the 1745 revival:  for example, "Their sound is gone out" became a choral piece, the soprano song "Rejoice greatly" was recomposed in shortened form, and the transpositions of "Then shall the eyes of the blind" and "He shall feed his flock" made previously to accommodate his featured alto voice were updated to soprano range.

In what we hope will become an annual Charleston tradition, The King's Counterpoint is excited to present 'A Chamber Music Messiah' - and each Easter season, we plan to offer The Holy City a different version of this masterpiece of music, presented chronologically as Handel arranged them and in the Baroque style in which they were originally performed! The King's Counterpoint began in 2024 with a combination of the 1741 Autograph and 1742 Dublin Premiere versions of this fabulous work, and we continue in 2025 with the London 1745 version. It's an historic event that we are excited to bring to our Charleston audiences!

Tickets Available Soon!

Reserved Seating $30  *  General Admission $25  *  Seniors (65+) $20  *  University Students $10  *  Under 18 FREE