Sing-Along Messiah returns to Massey Hall Dec 22
for the first time since 2017
Directed by Ivars Taurins
with guest soloists
Myriam Leblanc, soprano; Krisztina Szabó, mezzo-soprano;
Jacob Perry, tenor; and Philippe Sly, bass-baritone
“Christmas just would not be the same without this beautiful and cathartic event.”
—CBC News, Toronto
Hallelujah! Tafelmusik makes the season even brighter with performances of Handel’s Messiah in two Toronto venues known for their superb acoustics. Ivars Taurins, Canada’s “Prince of Messiah” (Toronto Star), directs performances of Handel’s baroque masterpiece on December 20 & 21, 7:30 pm, at Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre. Tickets are available through the Koerner Hall box office, https://www.rcmusic.com/tickets/seats/341601.
Another reason to shout “Hallelujah”? For the first time since 2017, Tafelmusik’s popular Sing-Along Messiah—directed by none other than the resplendently garbed G.F. Handel himself—returns to Massey Hall on December 22 at 2 pm. “It’s the Rocky Horror Picture Show of baroque music!” says Mr. Handel. Messiah’s stirring choruses get the surround-sound treatment when audience members add their voices to Tafelmusik’s choir, orchestra, and guest soloists. Tickets for Sing-Along Messiah are available through the Massey Hall box office, masseyhall.mhrth.com/tickets/sing-along-messiah.
“In the English-speaking world, Handel’s Messiah has been the musical bastion of everything to do with Christmas, synonymous with Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol. Messiah has become the go-to piece to ring in the holiday festivities,” says Taurins. “You can feel the electricity between the performers and the audience. It’s a catharsis to see the faces of audience members filled with emotion and tears of joy.”
Adding sheen to this annual ritual is a glittering cast of soloists, including soprano Myriam Leblanc, “perhaps the most beautiful voice to come out of Quebec in the past 10 years” (Samedi et rien d’autre); mezzo-soprano Krisztina Szabó, a “master of nuance and expressivity” (Toronto Star); tenor Jacob Perry, who “delivers the kind of deeply felt solo that gives audiences goosebumps” (Stir.ca); and bass-baritone Philippe Sly, noted for his “expansive tonal grace, interpretive thoughtfulness or communicative fervour.” (SFGate)
Performed in the style and spirit of Handel’s own productions, Tafelmusik’s Messiah “radiates brilliance and energy, along with an emotional depth that fully enhances the work’s expression” (AllMusic). Tafelmusik’s Messiah has been a cherished Toronto holiday tradition since 1981, and the work’s core message of good will, hope, and humanity resounds as eloquently today as its premiere in 1742.
LISTING INFORMATION:
Handel Messiah
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir with guest soloists Myriam Leblanc, soprano; Krisztina Szabó, mezzo-soprano; Jacob Perry, tenor; and Philippe Sly, bass-baritone
Directed by Ivars Taurins
December 20 & 21 at 7:30pm
Koerner Hall, TELUS Centre for Performance and Learning, 273 Bloor Street W.
Regular tickets start at $50 and are available at rcmusic.com/tickets. Discounts available for seniors and Tafelscene members.
Sing-Along Messiah
Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir with guest soloists Myriam Leblanc, soprano; Krisztina Szabó, mezzo-soprano; Jacob Perry, tenor; and Philippe Sly, bass-baritone
Directed by G.F. Handel (aka Ivars Taurins)
December 22 at 2pm
Massey Hall, 178 Victoria Street
Tickets are $59, General Admission. Seating is by vocal section
Tickets are available at masseyhall.mhrth.com/tickets/sing-along-messiah
Website: tafelmusik.org
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Tafelmusik gratefully acknowledges the support of BMO, Presenting Sponsor of the 2024/25 concert season, as well as support from Brookfield and Power Corporation of Canada. We are also grateful to our government partners Canada Council for the Arts, Ontario Arts Council, Toronto Arts Council, and the Ontario Trillium Foundation.
ABOUT TAFELMUSIK
Every now and then a group of musicians comes along and changes the way we think about music. For over four decades, Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir has been synonymous worldwide with dynamic, engaging, and soulful performances informed by scholarship, passion and artistic excellence. Performing on instruments and in styles appropriate to the era, Tafelmusik has performed in more than 350 cities in 32 countries. Its extensive discography on the Sony, CBC Records, Analekta and Tafelmusik Media labels have garnered ten JUNOs and numerous international recording prizes. From a vibrant home season in Toronto, to international tours, award-winning recordings, innovative collaborations, and inspiring education programs, Tafelmusik is a musical powerhouse with a reputation for thrilling and delighting audiences. www.tafelmusik.org
Media contact:
Luisa Trisi, Big Picture Communications
luisa@luisatrisi.com | 427 Bloor Street West, Toronto, ON M5S 1X7