Handel – Messiah HWV 56 | Choir of King’s College, Cambridge | Brandenburg Consort | Stephen Cleobury | United Classics (2CD)

Product Details

UPC: 8713545220520  
Label / Brand: United Classics / The Columns Recordings  
Format: 2 × CD (Complete Oratorio Recording)  
Genre: Sacred Oratorio – Baroque  
Recording Year: 1993  
Release / License: T2 International BV  
MNB: T2CD2012052  
Country of Manufacture: EU

Overview

This United Classics – Columns Recordings edition presents George Frideric Handel’s Messiah HWV 56, one of the most beloved sacred works in the Western canon.

Recorded in 1993 at the Pieterskerk in Leiden, this performance features the world-renowned Choir of King’s College, Cambridge, the Brandenburg Consort, and conductor Stephen Cleobury, who brings both grandeur and intimacy to Handel’s masterwork.

With soloists Lynne Dawson (soprano), Hillary Summers (alto), John Mark Ainsley (tenor), and Alastair Miles (bass), the recording offers a historically informed yet deeply expressive interpretation of this timeless oratorio.

The set includes the complete libretto inside, making it an invaluable reference for both listeners and performers.

Featured Soloists & Performers

• Soprano: Lynne Dawson
• Alto: Hillary Summers
• Tenor: John Mark Ainsley
• Bass: Alastair Miles

Choir of King’s College, Cambridge Brandenburg Consort (Leader: Roy Goodman) Conductor: Stephen Cleobury

Product Features

• Complete recording of Handel’s Messiah HWV 56
• Choir of King’s College, Cambridge – legendary choral tradition
• Period-instrument ensemble Brandenburg Consort
• Directed by renowned conductor Stephen Cleobury
• Recorded at Pieterskerk, Leiden (1993)
• Complete libretto included

Track Listing (Highlights by Section)

Part I – The Prophecy and Nativity

• Comfort ye, my people (Tenor)
• Ev’ry valley shall be exalted (Tenor)
• For unto us a Child is born (Chorus)
• Glory to God in the highest (Chorus)

Part II – The Passion and Resurrection

• He was despised (Alto)
• Surely He hath borne our griefs (Chorus)
• And with His stripes we are healed (Chorus)
• All we like sheep have gone astray (Chorus)
• Hallelujah! (Chorus)

Part III – The Redemption and Triumph

• I know that my Redeemer liveth (Soprano)
• The trumpet shall sound (Bass)
• Worthy is the Lamb (Chorus)
• Amen (Chorus)

(Complete track listing with all recitatives, arias, and choruses included in CD booklet)

Interesting Facts

• Handel composed Messiah in just 24 days in 1741, a feat that has inspired generations.
• The first performance took place in Dublin (1742) to great acclaim, with proceeds donated to charity.
• The tradition of standing during the “Hallelujah” chorus is said to have begun when King George II rose to his feet upon hearing it.
• King’s College, Cambridge has one of the most revered choral traditions in the world, lending unmatched clarity to Handel’s polyphonic writing.

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