Handel’s Messiah still sounds pretty good for being nearly 280 years old. With its rousing chorus, the oratorio is a mainstay in holiday classical music.

The Dallas Bach Society (DBS) will present its annual Handel’s Messiah concert on December 22. Although this year’s presentation, like many other shows during this time of COVID, will look different. DBS calls it an “elite, smaller version.”

The Dallas Bach Society performs Handel’s ‘Messiah’ at the Meyerson Symphony Center. Photo: Amanda Cameron.

Instead of the 2,000 plus seating of the Meyerson Symphony Center, this year’s performance will be held at the more intimate Zion Lutheran Church. Fewer tickets will be available to limit capacity and ensure safe socially-distance seating for the audience.

Because seating for this very popular holiday tradition will be so limited, DBS has opted to live stream the concert.

Jackie Lengfelder is the executive director for the DBS. “There aren’t many (tickets) left. . . And there’s a lot of people out there who usually come to the Messiah, so we’re hoping they join in on the live stream.”

The Dallas Bach Society performs Handel’s ‘Messiah’ at the Meyerson Symphony Center. Photo: Amanda Cameron.

The orchestra will be smaller and there will be about half as many chorus members. Performers will have been tested prior to the performance and will be masked, except during solos.

Typically, DBS performs all three sections of the famous oratorio. For this scaled-down concert, they will perform Part I and the “Hallelujah” chorus borrowed from the second part. After that portion of the program audience members may choose to leave at intermission or stay and listen to a combination of Parts II and III including the “Hallelujah” chorus again.

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December is a very busy time for the Dallas Bach Society. Their last concert for the holiday season will be on New Year’s Eve.  The program will include Vivaldi’s Four Seasons and feature “four fabulous DFW violinists,” said Lengfelder. It will also be at Zion Lutheran Church.

“And for those who don’t want to get out can join us we’re going to live stream that concert as well. . . So you can still have fabulous music in your home.”

All Dallas Bach Society tickets are available on Ticket DFW.

For a list of even more holiday activities around the North Texas area check out Art&Seek’s Holiday Event Guide.

Got a tip? Email Gila Espinoza at gespinoza@kera.org. You can follow her on Twitter @espinoza_kera.

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