Red Deer Symphony Orchestra is embracing the seasonal spirit with a performance of Handel's Messiah.
The Dec. 15 concert at Gaetz Memorial United Church begins at 7:30 p.m. and features Juno Award-winning baroque orchestra Rosa Barocca and Early Music Voices choir.
Rosa Barocca is an Alberta-based ensemble specializing in the performance of baroque music using period instruments.
Elinor Frey and Rosa Barocca’s Album Early Italian Cello Concertos on the Analekta label won the Juno Award for Best Classical Album of the Year (Small Ensemble) in 2023.
Calgary's Early Music Voices' mission is to foster passion for music from the medieval, Renaissance and baroque periods through performances and educational experiences.
Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel and first performed in Dublin in 1742. It's Hallelujah chorus is one of the most famous pieces of baroque choral music.
The concert is the third Main Series concert of RDSO's 2024-25 season and will be the first time since 2018 Messiah has been presented live in Red Deer.
Tickets range to all RDSO events are available online at www.rdso.ca, in-person at the RDSO office in Century Centre, #206 4807 50th Ave. or by calling 403-346-0021.
Meanwhile, the RDSO is extending its thanks to Red Deer city council, which approved $47,000 in much-welcomed operational funding.
"These funds will enable the RDSO to expand the size and scope of its performances and contribute to improved organizational capacity and sustainability," it says.
With the mission of "engaging, educating and inspiring central Alberta through music," the RDSO says it remains committed to providing a range of accessible opportunities for the public to encounter live classical music, including Choir Kids and Symphony at the Snell Auditorium at Red Deer Public Library's downtown branch.
