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The Philadelphia Orchestra in Concert on WRTI: Handel's Glorious MESSIAH! December 25 at 1 PM

For Christmas Day at 1 pm, what a treat! It's Handel's Baroque masterpiece, Messiah. Cristian M?celaru, conductor-in-residence of The Philadelphia Orchestra, directs the 2013 performance, with the Philadelphians joined by four distinguished soloists, and the Philadelphia Singers Chorale. Listen on WRTI's new App!

Listen to this feature, by WRTI's Susan Lewis, with historical background about Handel's Messiah and discussion of the music and libretto. Included are comments from David Hayes, music director of Philadelphia Singers; Steven Zohn, professor of music history at Temple University; and Jeffrey Brillhart, who teaches at Yale and is artistic director of Singing City. He's also director of music and fine arts at Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church in Bryn Mawr.

Messiah, often called the most famous oratorio ever written, is yours to enjoy from a Verizon Hall concert in 2013, here on WRTI.

PROGRAM:

George Frideric HANDEL: MESSIAH

The Philadelphia Orchestra

Cristian M?celaru: Conductor

Soloists:

Yulia Van Dore: Soprano

Sasha Cooke: Mezzo-Soprano

Nicholas Phan: Tenor

Alexander Dobson: Baritone

The Philadelphia Singers Chorale

David Hayes: Music Director

Gregg Whiteside is producer and host of The Philadelphia Orchestra in Concert broadcasts on WRTI 90.1 FM in Philadelphia and streaming online at WRTI.org, every Sunday from 1 to 3 pm.

Gregg was the host of WRTI's morning drive show from 2012 until his retirement from WRTI in January, 2021. He began producing and hosting The Philadelphia Orchestra In Concert broadcasts in 2013, joining the Orchestra in Hong Kong for the first-ever live international radio broadcasts from that island in 2016, and in Tel Aviv and Jerusalem for two historic broadcasts in 2018. You can still hear Gregg as host of the Orchestra broadcasts every Sunday and Monday on WRTI.