New Jersey Symphony’s Holiday Tradition Returns With Handel’s Messiah

Nearly three centuries after its premiere, Handel’s masterwork still finds a way to rekindle the holidays for first time listeners and lifelong regulars alike.

Some holiday traditions fade. Handel’s Messiah has only grown more essential with time, and on Saturday, December 19, New Jersey Symphony brings its glorious annual rendition of the piece to the Alexander Kasser Theater, closing out PEAK Performances’ fall season on its grandest possible note.

Composed by George Frideric Handel, Messiah has earned its reputation as one of classical music’s most enduring works precisely because it manages to feel both monumental and deeply personal at once. This performance features the University Singers alongside a full lineup of vocal soloists, giving the piece the scale and choral depth it was written to command, all inside a two hour and fifteen minute program built to anchor an entire holiday season.

A Roster Built for the Occasion

Conductor Kendrick Armstrong leads the performance, joined by soprano Jessica Rivera, mezzo-soprano Kelley O’Connor, tenor Martin Bakari, and bass-baritone Kevin Short. That’s a genuinely stacked lineup of vocal soloists for a single evening, each bringing their own interpretive voice to a work that rewards exactly that kind of individual artistry within a larger choral framework. The University Singers, directed by Heather J. Buchanan, round out the ensemble, giving the performance the full choral weight Handel originally intended.

The Moment Everyone Waits For

No discussion of Messiah is complete without mentioning its most famous movement. The triumphant Hallelujah Chorus remains one of classical music’s most instantly recognizable passages, the kind of moment that tends to send a genuine chill through a concert hall regardless of how many times an audience member has heard it before. Hearing it performed live, with a full orchestra and choir working in tandem, offers an entirely different experience than any recording can replicate.

Why This Belongs on Every Holiday Calendar

Plenty of holiday concerts come and go, but few carry the kind of gravity Messiah brings to a room. Between a genuinely world class conductor, four accomplished vocal soloists, and a full choral ensemble performing one of the most enduring works in the classical canon, New Jersey Symphony’s annual Messiah offers exactly the kind of grand, communal holiday experience that a season full of smaller gatherings can’t quite replicate. For longtime fans, it’s an essential yearly ritual. For first time attendees, it’s as strong an introduction to the power of live choral music as exists anywhere in the state.

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Explore New Jersey covers the state’s classical music and holiday programming, from annual traditions to the performances that turn a single evening into a full season’s highlight. Check back for more classical music coverage all season long.