Handel: Messiah (complete 1742 Dublin version)

Hybrid/SACD multichannel - playable on all compact disc players

GRAMOPHONE MAGAZINE AWARDS WINNER 2007 - Baroque Vocal

"the first recording to seriously explore the version and performing forces that Handel used for his legendary Dublin premiere of his most famous oratorio"
- David Vickers, Gramophone

This superb new disc features the composer's original version of the Messiah as it was premiered at Fishamble Music Hall, Dublin, in 1742.

In the years that followed the original Dublin production, at least ten different versions of the Messiah were produced by Handel, and although no one edition can be regarded as "definitive", the aim of this recording is to recreate some of the freshness of the premiere, so that the listener may hear it as if for the first time, when many moments must have been quite unexpected.

The changes made by Handel over the years frequently reflected the musical and vocal resources available to the composer at the time of production. The Dublin version was originally performed by the choirs of Christ Church and St Patrick's Cathedrals, whose numerical resources were approximately equivalent to those of the Dunedin Consort today.

Dunedin Consort

Founded in 1996 by Susan Hamilton and Ben Parry, Dunedin Consort has been hailed by critics as "a group that has done so much to transform the vocal life of Scotland". The dynamic ensemble has rapidly established its presence in the artistic life of its home country, appearing in venues throughout Scotland, from remote Highland churches to major concert halls. Under the guidance of its current artistic directors John Butt and Susan Hamilton, it continues to perform a diverse repertoire that ranges from Medieval and Renaissance music to contemporary works such as Stockhausen's Stimmung. Its annual performances of Bach's Matthew passion and Handels Messiah have also become fixtures of the Scottish music calendar.

The consort has appeared at festivals in Belgium, Canada, France, Italy and Spain as well as at the Edinburgh International Festival. It has worked in collaboration with ensembles including the BBC Scottish Symphony Orchestra, Sinfonia 21, Scottish Ensemble, paragon Ensemble, Florilegium, La Serenissima and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra, has appeared on programmes on BBC 2 and BBC 4 television and been broadcast on BBC Radio 3 and BBC Scotland.

Education and outreach are an integral part of the consort's work in the Scottish community. In winter 2002 The people's Mass, a collaboration involving six Scottish-based composers, was performed with childrens choirs throughout the country. More recently, Dunedin worked on Harvey Brough's Requiem in Blue with pupils from a variety of different schools and backgrounds; a project that culminated in a performance at the Usher Hall, Edinburgh involving nearly 300 children.

The consort has recorded works by Copland and Barber for the Linn label and appears on the recordings of Mozart's operas Il Seraglio and Idomeneo made by conductor Sir Charles Mackerras and the Scottish Chamber Orchestra. Recent releases include music by William Byrd and Thomas Tallis and a recording of The peoples Mass, both on the Delphian label, as well as Corrinna Hewat's Silhouette, which the ensemble premiered on the island of Mull in 2003.