150 Years of Messiah on Good Friday at the Royal Albert Hall
Some traditions are worth crossing London for. On Friday 3 April at 2.30pm, the Royal Choral Society will perform Handel's Messiah at the Royal Albert Hall for the 150th annual Good Friday performance, a tradition that began in 1876. It is one of the longest-running musical traditions in the country, and this anniversary performance is the obvious way to begin the Easter weekend in South Kensington.
A tradition that began in 1876
The Royal Choral Society was formed soon after the Hall opened in 1871 and sang Messiah in its very first season. In 1876, with 1,000 singers under the conductor Joseph Barnby, it established the annual Easter performance. The choir is thought to have sung Messiah more times than any other choir in the world, and the series has been interrupted only twice: by the Blitz in 1940 and 1941, and by the Covid pandemic in 2020 and 2021.
Who is performing
The Society's Music Director, Richard Cooke, conducts, with the Royal Philharmonic Orchestra. The soloists make a strong line-up:
- Soprano: Mary Bevan
- Mezzo-soprano: Anna Stéphany
- Tenor: Jamie MacDougall
- Bass: Matthew Rose
Hearing a large symphonic choir sing the Hallelujah Chorus beneath the Hall's great dome is a different experience from a period-instrument performance in a church: bigger, warmer and unapologetically grand, which is exactly the point of this tradition.
The music itself
Handel wrote Messiah in 1741, and it was first performed in Dublin the following year. Its journey from the Nativity to the Passion and Resurrection makes it a natural fit for Easter, even though many now associate it with Christmas. Part Two, which contains the Hallelujah Chorus, carries the emotional weight of the Good Friday story, and the tradition of the audience standing for that chorus is still observed by many. With a large chorus and a full symphony orchestra filling a room of this size, the effect at the big moments is overwhelming in the best possible way.
Tickets
Tickets are sold through the Royal Albert Hall box office, with prices starting from around £24. As Classic FM's listing notes, Side Stalls are usually £51.50 and Rear Arena seats £46, including booking fees. The 2.30pm start makes it an easy afternoon outing, with time for an early dinner nearby afterwards.
Make a day of it
Good Friday is a bank holiday, and South Kensington's museums are open as usual. Combine a morning at the V&A, where Schiaparelli: Fashion Becomes Art opened last weekend, with the concert in the afternoon. Kensington Gardens and the Albert Memorial sit directly opposite the Hall if you want fresh air before the performance.
Getting there
South Kensington station is about 15 minutes on foot via Exhibition Road, and buses 9, 10 and 52 stop on Kensington Gore. Arrive early to find your seat and enjoy the Hall before the performance begins. For more over the Easter weekend, see our events listings.
Lead image: Adrián Pérez via Flickr, CC BY-SA 2.0.
