Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th December, 2022 at 3.00pm
For over 80 years, the Radio Community Chest has brought audiences an annual Handel Messiah to support local charities. In 2022, I have the great pleasure of joining the Radio Community Chest as bass soloist. I recently interviewed Stephen Matthews, Chairman of the organisation to find out a bit more about this special tradition.
So Stephen, how many years has the Radio Community Chest’s Messiah been going at the Sydney Town Hall?
“Radio Community Chest has been sponsoring performances of Messiah since 1941, the vast majority of which have been in the Sydney Town Hall. It’s a great venue and the unique Grand Organ adds to the beauty of the performance. Our organist for almost 40 years, Peter Kneeshaw has only recently retired.”
Have there been various conductors, musicians and singers during its performance?
“Yes, many. Over the years conductors have included Richard Thew and Clive Pascoe and much earlier on soloists have included Gillian Sullivan, Elizabeth Campbell and Peter Coleman-Wright. We try and give up and coming voice students/young graduates the opportunity to sing with us.”
What charities has this event supported?
“In addition to sponsoring an event to encourage excellence in choral music at the Sydney Eisteddfod we distribute any surpluses from annual performances to charities who support needy people in Sydney, organisations like the Bill Crews Foundation, Anglicare, Wesley Mission and CatholicCare. This is very much in keeping with Handel’s idea of a benefit concert for London’s Foundling Hospital for which he wrote an anthem based on Psalm 41 “Blessed are they that consider the poor and needy…”. The following year in 1743, Handel did another benefit concert for the hospital and this time he chose Messiah.”
What is special about this work’s significance in helping children and other charities?
“Messiah was originally an Easter work but today it is regarded as suitable for both Easter and Christmas. Handel was born in Halle, Germany and went to England to pursue a career as an opera composer. That wasn’t to be, so he switched to composing oratorios that were very successful and the English (as they have done with others) “adopted” him. The first performance of Messiah (a charity performance) was in Dublin, Ireland in 1742, and the audience so large that ladies were asked not to wear hoops and gentlemen were asked to leave their swords at home. The choir has grown from the original 16 men and 16 boys 280 years ago to choirs of around 250-300 choristers in more recent times. Today Handel’s immortal oratorio Messiah is one of the most frequently performed choral works in Western music.”
Conductor of the Radio Community Chest Messiah, Tim Chung.
What will the audience get from this performance that is different to other Messiah concert events?
“Audiences at the Radio Community Chest performance of Messiah in the Sydney Town Hall on Saturday 17th and Sunday 18th December at 3.00pm can enjoy the performance in the exceptional surrounds of The Sydney Town Hall and at the same time know that they are helping the needy people of Sydney, including causes like Bill Crews’ Christmas lunch for the homeless.”
How can people purchase tickets?
Tickets are available online by clicking here, or by phoning City Recital Hall Box Office on (02) 8256 2222.
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