December 8, 9, 10, 2017
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In collaboration with Redwood Symphony, Eric K, director

​English composer Paul Ayres has rewritten Handel’s Messiah, imagining how Handel’s original melodies might sound if the master were alive today and could set them in any musical style. In the course of the evening we encounter jazz, gospel, mash-ups, improvisation, sight-gags and more, with all the variations clearly rooted in Handel’s familiar melodies and harmonies. As Ayres himself describes: “Sometimes there are changes to metre and rhythm, and sometimes the harmony or text has undergone a transformation. Some movements have had their essential elements distilled into a few moments’ intensity, and some musical ideas have been expanded and developed along startlingly tangential lines.

Messyah—one might think of this as the “messy” version of the original—is a joyous, spirited celebration of the all-time classic! Joining us on this exciting adventure are vocal soloists Ann Moss, soprano, Kathleen Moss, alto, Michael Desnoyer, tenor, and Igor Vieira, bass.

​Read the program notes by artistic director Sanford Dole, along with a special message from Paul Ayres himself.

Join us for a preview lecture by Sanford 30 minutes before the start of each concert.