A Musical and Literary Program for Advent
By leaning into the model of the French concert spirituel, Handel’s universally beloved Messiah, which generally weighs in at around three hours, can be transformed into the central focus of a tailor-made pasticcio for the Advent season. When selected excerpts from the oratorio are combined with literary and liturgical readings, along with congregational singing, the result is a compelling one-hour program, both engaging and much more economical to produce.
