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Orchestra of St John’s Handel’s Messiah at Dorchester Abbey
20 December 2025 @ 7.00pm to 9.30pm
About Orchestra of St John’s Handel’s Messiah at Dorchester Abbey
Handel – Messiah
In the traditional scoring.
Abbi Temple soprano
Suzie Purkis alto
Archie Inns tenor
David Pike bass
OSJ Voices
Orchestra of St John’s
John Lubbock, conductor
Orchestra of St John’s Handel’s Messiah at Dorchester Abbey is a seasonal classic performed by renowned soloists, backed by the full forces of the Orchestra of St John’s and the OSJ Voices.
Join the Orchestra of St John’s and the OSJ Voices for a festive performance of Handel’s great oratorio, The Messiah.
Tickets
Please see important ticketing information below.
Booking information
Prices:
Front seats – £30.00
Middle Seats – £25.00
Rear seats – £20.00
Under 25s – £5.00
Free tickets available for NHS workers and for the disabled. Please email admin@osj.org.uk
When you purchase tickets, the organisers politely ask that you consider adding a voluntary donation to support their work in the community and with children in Special Educational Needs schools.
Did you know…
Handel’s Messiah is probably the most performed choral work in history, and, despite being about the whole of Jesus’ life, it is now mainly performed at Christmas.
Messiah was originally an Easter offering and premiered in Dublin on 13 April 1742. The first part prophesied the birth of Jesus Christ, the second exalted his sacrifice for humankind, and the final section heralded his Resurrection.
Messiah’s success in Dublin was soon quickly repeated in London when it was performed for the first time in London a year later at the Covent Garden Theatre. It took time for Messiah to find its niche as a Christmas favourite, but now, of course, Handel’s Messiah is a fixture of the Christmas season.
Handel composed Messiah in an astounding interlude – between three and four weeks in August and September 1741. Whilst some think it was divine inspiration, he was actually just really good at writing quickly. He composed operas of a similar length during the short times between theatrical seasons.
The original version of Messiah is lost, as Handel edited and re-worked the music in the years following the premiere. And to create work for as many players as possible extra parts were written for more instruments.
PS: The tradition of standing for the Hallelujah chorus was begun by King George II at the London premiere – and when the King stands, so does everybody else.