The premiere of Handel’s “Messiah”

Portrait of Georg Friedrich Händel by John Faber (c. 1695-1756) after Thomas Hudson (1709-1779). © Stiftung Händel-Haus, Halle (Saale)

One of the glories of German music, Handel’s oratorio “Messiah” was first performed in Dublin at the New Music Hall in Fishamble Street at noon on April 13th 1742.

George Frideric Handel (Georg Friedrich Händel), born in Halle in Upper Saxony, emigrated to London when he was 27 and had great success with his Italian operas. By 1741, when he composed “Messiah”, Italian opera was out of favour and his fortunes were on the wane. An old friend, the musician Matthew Dubourg, arranged for him to be invited to Dublin by three charitable societies, for a series of six concerts. Handel arrived in November 1741 and took rooms at 26 Lower Abbey Street. He gathered an orchestra and chorus, mainly from the city’s two cathedrals and worked with them on “Messiah”.

The opening of the Hallelujah chorus from a score of Handel's Messiah, transcribed by John Mathews c. 1761, held in Marsh's Libray. © With the permission of the Governors and Guardians of Marsh's Library, Dublin

Public rehearsals generated great interest: the notice for the first performance urged ladies not to wear hoops and gentlemen to “come without their swords” to save space. With Handel both conducting and playing an organ, the Dublin audience expressed its “exquisite delight”. The world has largely endorsed its taste ever since and the performance is still regarded by Dubliners as one of the greatest moments in their city’s cultural history. It is remembered by an open air concert on Fishamble Street every April 13th.

Fishamble Street and the former entrance to the New Music Hall, then part of Kennan & Sons Ltd. The Contemporary Music Centre opened here in 2001. © Paddy Healy Collection, Irish Architectural Archive