John Nelson – Handel: Messiah – CD

CD+DVD, Limited Edition, Bonus Track(S)

“A lifetime of performing Messiah has brought me, at the age of 80, enough courage to record this singularly famous piece of music,” wrote conductor John Nelson in November 2022. “With the finest musicians and soloists on the planet surrounding me, I’m finally ready to lay down my personal interpretation for posterity.”

Nelson recorded Handel’s most celebrated oratorio at a concert in Coventry Cathedral in the heart of England. He was joined by the historically informed orchestra and choir of The English Concert and vocal soloists Lucy Crowe, Alex Potter, Michael Spyres and Matthew Brook. This memorable performance is now released as a three-disc set – the audio version on 2 CDs and the video on a DVD. Handel continued to work on Messiah in the decade after its first performance (Dublin, 1742) and the set features variants of the score and eight bonus tracks with alternative versions of famous arias.

In 1940, Coventry’s 15th century cathedral was ruined in a devastating bombing raid. A new, modernist cathedral, designed by Basil Spence, was consecrated in 1962. As John Nelson continued: “In today’s turbulent world, where the suffering of millions of displaced families has come close to all our lives, I hope that this Messiah in this symbolic location can be a powerful message of hope.”

Disc: 1
1 Sinfonia
2 Comfort Ye, My People
3 Ev’ry Valley Shall Be Exalted
4 And the Glory of the Lord
5 Thus Saith the Lord of Hosts
6 But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming?
7 And He Shall Purify
8 Behold, a Virgin Shall Conceive
9 O Thou That Tellest Good Tidings to Zion
10 For Behold
11 The People That Walked in Darkness
12 For Unto Us a Child Is Born
13 Larghetto E Mezzo Piano
14 There Were Shepherds
15 And Lo, the Angel of the Lord Came Upon Them
16 And the Angel Said Unto Them
17 And Suddenly
18 Glory to God in the Highest
19 Rejoice Greatly
20 Then Shall the Eyes of the Blind Be Open’d
21 He Shall Feed His Flock
22 His Yoke Is Easy
23 Behold the Lamb of God
24 He Was Despised
25 Surely He Hath Borne Our Griefs
26 And With His Stripes
27 All We, Like Sheep, Have Gone Astray
28 All They That See Him Laugh Him to Scorn
29 He Trusted in God
30 Thy Rebuke Hath Broken His Heart
31 Behold, and See
32 He Was Cut Off Out of the Land of the Living
33 But Thou Didst Not Leave His Soul in Hell

Disc: 2
1 Lift Up Your Heads
2 Unto Which of the Angels He at Any Time
3 Let All the Angels of God Worship Him
4 Thou Art Gone Up On High
5 The Lord Gave the Word
6 How Beautiful Are the Feet
7 Break Forth Into Joy
8 Their Sound Is Gone Out Into All Lands
9 Why Do the Nations
10 Let Us Break Their Bonds Asunder
11 He That Dwelleth in Heaven
12 Thou Shalt Break Them
13 Hallelujah
14 I Know That My Redeemer Liveth
15 Since By Man Came Death
16 Behold, I Tell You a Mystery
17 The Trumpet Shall Sound
18 Then Shall Be Brought to Pass the Saying
19 O Death
20 But Thanks to Be God
21 If God Be for Us
22 Worthy Is the Lamb
23 But Who May Abide the Day of His Coming?
24 But Lo, the Angel of the Lord Came Upon Them
25 Rejoice Greatly
26 Thou Art Gone Up On High
27 Thou Art Gone Up On High
28 How Beautiful Are the Feet
29 How Beautiful Are the Feet
30 Their Sound Is Gone Out Into All Lands

Disc: 3
1 Messiah