Handel + Haydn's Messiah soars again

H+H first performed excerpts from Handel’s Messiah at its inaugural concert on Christmas Day in 1815 and performed the complete work three years later. The oratorio has been performed every December since 1854. This year’s performance played to a sold-out Symphony Hall and was well-received despite rather variable performances by the four soloists. The soprano, Sophie Bevan, was magnificent, and the contralto, Emily Marvosh, had a clean clear voice. The baritone, Christpher Purves, had a fine voice but little stage presence. The weakest link was tenor James Gilchrist, whose voice was thready and mannerisms annoying. Outstanding work by the H+H chorus meant that whenever the full chorus was center-stage, the performance soared. The wonderful period orchestra took second place to the vocals, but performed flawlessly, with special kudos to Ian Watson at organ and harpsichord and Jesse Levine on trumpet.