This Christmas, Rayfield Allied artists will once again be performing popular advent repertoire around the world. This season in particular features 35 performances of Handel's Messiah, and 17 performances of Bach's Christmas Oratorio.
In London, Matthew Brook performs on consecutive nights with Handel's Messiah and Bach's Christmas Oratorio under the baton of Stephen Layton at St John's, Smith Square with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment, Polyphony and the choir of Trinity College, Cambridge. Nicholas Mulroy and Michael Mofidian will perform Schutz' Christmas Story at the Wigmore Hall with the Dunedin Consort. For the Temple Music Foundation, Katie Bray and Michael Mofidian will perform Handel's Messiah while Nick Pritchard joins The Sixteen for their performances at St Martin-in-the-Fields and Saffron Hall and Nicholas Mogg performs with the English Chamber Orchestra at Cadogan Hall. James Oxley, Mhairi Lawson and Stephan Loges all perform the Messiah at Wells Cathedral. David Stout sings Bach's Christmas Oratorio with Britten Sinfonia at The Barbican and The Halls, Norwich.
Elswhere in the UK, Nicholas McGegan conducts Handel's Messiah with the Royal Scottish National Orchestra, with soloists William Towers, Mhairi Lawson and Stephan Loges. Michael Mofidian sings the bass solos in Messiah for the Oxford Philharmonic and the Hallé Orchestra, also featuring mezzo-soprano Katie Bray. Huddersfield Choral Society join forces with the Orchestra of Opera North for performances of Messiah which will feature Katie Bray, Nick Pritchard, and Dingle Yandell. With the Dunedin Consort, Helen Charlston and Michael Mofidian will perform Messiah in Glasgow and Edinburgh, while Bjarte Eike, Caitlin Hulcup and Stephan Loges perform the piece with the Royal Northern Sinfonia, and Thando Mjandana performs with the Welsh National Opera.
Performances of Bach's Christmas Oratorio in Europe include Nicholas Mulroy with Latvijas Koncerti in Riga, Peter Harvey at the Salzburger Kulturvereinigung, Matthew Brook with the Orchestre National de Lyon and Nicholas McGegan, conducting the Aalborg Symphony Orchestra, with Nicholas Mulroy as the Evangelist. Alexandra Oomens, Hilary Summers and Joshua Ellicott will perform Messiah with The Kings Consort in a tour to Ljubljana, Budpest and Las Palmas, Pablo Bemsch with Orchestre Opera Royal de Versailles and Helen Charlston performs in Denmark under the baton of Mogens Dahl with the Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment. Christian Curnyn conducts the Athens State Orchestra at the Megaron, in a performance of Handel's Messiah.
Throughout December, Dingle Yandell and Nick Pritchard join the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir as soloists, conducted by John Eliot Gardiner, to perform Bach’s Christmas Oratorio across Europe at Teatro Alla Scala, Milan and Versailles Palace, France. The tour concludes with two dates at St Martin in the Fields, London.
Further afield, Laurence Cummings conducts Handel's Messiah with the St Louis Symphony Orchestra, returning home to conduct performances with the Academy of Ancient Music, and the Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra, which will feature Sam Furness as the tenor soloist. Paul McCreesh conducts the piece with the St Paul Chamber Orchestra and Brett Polegato performs with Tafelmusik in Toronto.
A full calendar of Christmas events can be seen below:
2 December - Messiah / Laurence Cummings with St Louis Symphony Orchestra
3 December - Messiah / Laurence Cummings with St Louis Symphony Orchestra
3 December - Christmas Oratorio / Dingle Yandell, Nick Pritchard with the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir / Teatro Alla Scala, Milan
3 December - Messiah / Mhairi Lawson, James Oxley, Stephan Loges / Wells Cathedral
4 December - Messiah / Laurence Cummings with St Louis Symphony Orchestra
4 December - Messiah / Nicholas Mogg with English Chamber Orchestra / Cadogan Hall
6 December - Messiah / Nick Pritchard with The Sixteen / St Martin-in-the-Fields
9 December - Messiah / Helen Charlston with Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment / Holmens Kirke
9 December - Messiah / Thando Mjandana with Welsh National Opera/ St David's Hall
10 December - Messiah / Helen Charlston with Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment / Holmens Kirke
10 December - Messiah / Robin Blaze / Salisbury Cathedral
10 December - Messiah / Michael Mofidian, Katie Bray with the Hallé Orchestra / Bridgewater Hall
11 December - Messiah / Helen Charlston with Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment / Viborg Cathedral
11 December - Christmas Oratorio / Dingle Yandell, Nick Pritchard with the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir / Versailles Palace, France
13 December - Christmas Oratorio / Dingle Yandell, Nick Pritchard with the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir / St Martin in the Fields, London
15 December - Messiah / Pablo Bemsch with Orchestre Opera Royal de Versailles
15 December - Christmas Oratorio / Dingle Yandell, Nick Pritchard with the English Baroque Soloists and the Monteverdi Choir / St Martin in the Fields, London
12 December - Christmas Oratorio / David Stout with Britten Sinfonia / The Barbican, London
12 December - Messiah / Michael Mofidian, Katie Bray with Temple Music Foundation / Temple Church, London
13 December - Christmas Oratorio / David Stout with Britten Sinfonia / The Halls, Norwich
14 December - Messiah / Sam Furness, Laurence Cummings with Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra / The Lighthouse, Poole
14 December - Messiah / Michael Mofidian, Helen Charlston with Dunedin Consort / St Mary's Cathedral, Glasgow
14 December - Messiah / Alexandra Oomens, Hilary Summers, Joshua Ellicott with The Kings Consort / Gallus Hall Ljubljana
15 December - Messiah / Michael Mofidian, Helen Charlston with Dunedin Consort / St Mary's Catholic Church, Lanark
15 December - Christmas Oratorio / Nicholas McGegan, Nicholas Mulroy with Aalborg Symphony Orchestra / Musikkens Hus
15 December - Messiah / Paul McCreesh with St Paul Chamber Orchestra / Basilica of Saint Mary
15 December - Messiah / Alexandra Oomens, Hilary Summers, Joshua Ellicott with The Kings Consort / Bela Bartok National Concert Hall
15 December - Christmas Oratorio / Nicholas McGegan, Nicholas Mulroy with Aalborg Symphony Orchestra / Thisted Church
16 December - Messiah / Laurence Cummings with Academy of Ancient Music / The Barbican
16 December - Christmas Oratorio / Matthew Brook with the Orchestre National de Lyon / Auditorium Orchestre National de Lyon
16 December - Messiah / Christian Curnyn with the Athens State Orchestra / Megaron
16 December - Messiah / Brett Polegato with Tafelmusik / Koerner Hall, Toronto
16 December - Messiah / Michael Mofidian, Helen Charlston with Dunedin Consort / The Queen's Hall, Edinburgh
16 December - Messiah / Paul McCreesh with St Paul Chamber Orchestra / Basilica of Saint Mary
17 December - Messiah / Brett Polegato with Tafelmusik / Koerner Hall, Toronto
17 December - Messiah / Pablo Bemsch with Orchestre Opera Royal de Versailles
17 December - Messiah / Caitlin Hulcup, Stephan Loges, Bjarte Eike with Royal Northern Sinfonia / Sage Gateshead
17 December - Christmas Oratorio / Matthew Brook with the Orchestre National de Lyon / Auditorium Orchestre National de Lyon
17 December - Messiah / Paul McCreesh with St Paul Chamber Orchestra / Ordway Concert Hall
18 December - Messiah / Nick Pritchard with The Sixteen / Saffron Hall
18 December - Messiah / Pablo Bemsch with Orchestre Opera Royal de Versailles
18 December - Messiah / Paul McCreesh with St Paul Chamber Orchestra / Ordway Concert Hall
20 December - Christmas Oratorio / Dingle Yandell, Katie Bray, Nick Pritchard with Huddersfield Choral Society and the Orchestra of Opera North / Huddersfield Town Hall
20 December - Messiah / Alexandra Oomens, Hilary Summers, Joshua Ellicott with The Kings Consort / Auditorio Alfredo Kraus
20 December - Schutz Christmas Story / Nicholas Mulroy, Michael Mofidian with Dunedin Consort / Wigmore Hall
21 December - Christmas Oratorio / Dingle Yandell, Katie Bray, Nick Pritchard with Huddersfield Choral Society and the Orchestra of Opera North / Huddersfield Town Hall
21 December - Christmas Oratorio - Peter Harvey with Salzburger Kulturvereinigung / Grosses Festspielhaus Salzburg
21 December - Messiah / Michael Mofidian with Oxford Philharmonic / Olivier Hall
22 December - Christmas Oratorio / Matthew Brook with Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Choir of Trinity College Cambridge / St John's Smith Square
22 December - Christmas Oratorio - Peter Harvey with Salzburger Kulturvereinigung / Grosses Festspielhaus Salzburg
23 December - Messiah / Matthew Brook with Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment and Polyphony / St John's Smith Square
23 December - Christmas Oratorio - Peter Harvey with Salzburger Kulturvereinigung / Grosses Festspielhaus Salzburg
29 December - Christmas Oratorio / Nicholas Mulroy with Latvijas Koncerti / Riga Luther Church
2 January - Messiah / Micholas McGegan, William Towers, Stephan Loges and Mhairi Lawson with Royal Scottish National Orchestra / Glasgow Royal Concert Hall
