The National Chorale of Jamaica (NCOJ) will be present George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, Part 1, along with a selection of Christmas Carols on Sunday, December 1, 2024.

Venued at UWI Chapel, Mona, the concert begins at 6:00 pm.

NCOJ Director Winston Ewart said the chorale is pleased to present what is arguably the most widely performed of musical masterpieces.

Greeted by a storm of protest from local clergy when first performed, Messiah is a staple of the holiday season, both within and outside of church settings, even though only a small portion of the work addresses the Nativity.

This, Handel’s most notable work, was composed in 1741, and first performed in April of the following year. The most famous portion of the oratorio may well be the Hallelujah Chorus.

Chairman of the NCOJ Christopher Samuda in commenting on the upcoming production said: “In delivering Handel’s Messiah, the chorale will reinforce to a physical and virtual audience the purity and beauty of voices, the spirituality of humanity, and the mortality yet immortality of the Son of Man and God.”

The NCOJ was founded in 1972, with the aim of presenting programmes which include the widest variety of music which has found a place in the musical literature of the country over the years, and also promoting the development of young musicians, through their inclusion in concerts and by the provision of scholarships.

The NCOJ has been the recipient of many awards, including the Jamaica Music Industry (JAMI) Award and has performed extensively across the Caribbean and internationally.