Messyah - a re-written version of Handel's Messiah by Paul Ayres
performance history - in reverse chronological order
please let Paul know of any performances not listed here
2017
Messyah - complete! three performances by the Bay Choral Guild (artistic director Sanford Dole) and Redwood Symphony (director Eric Kujawsky):
Friday 8 December
Campbell United Methodist Church San Jose
Saturday 9 December 9
First United Methodist Church Palo Alto
Sunday 10 December
St Mark's Lutheran Church, San Francisco
2015
UK premieres of How beautiful are the feet of Him, But thou didst not leave, O thou that tellest, plus performances of And the glory of the Lord, Hallelujah, He shall feed His flock, Thou art gone up on high (William Petter, William Vann, Fenella Humphreys, Queldryk Choral Ensemble)
Hallelujah sung on Easter morning at the chapel of the Royal Hospital Chapel Chelsea (William Vann, director of music)
2014
New Zealand premieres of Thou art gone up on high and How beautiful are the feet of Him (Lois Johnston, soprano)
2013
Boston Choral Ensemble, directed by Andrew Shenton, performed For unto us, in a new scoring (commissioned by BCE): three SATB choirs plus organ accompaniment
2010
a third San Francisco performance (Sanford Dole Ensemble), featuring these new movements:
Why do the nations so furiously rage together?
Overture (new version)
Comfort Ye (new version)
Every Valley (new version)
2009
a second San Francisco performance (Sanford Dole Ensemble), featuring 11 new movements:
Behold and see
He was cut off
Thou art gone up on high
His yoke is easy
Behold the Lamb of God
But who may abide
Their sound is gone out
Let all the angels of God
For behold darkness shall cover the earth
He shall feed His flock
But thou didst not leave
How beautiful are the feet
Every valley
O thou that tellest
He was despised
in London, Paul led a one-day sing-through workshop on Messyah as a guest conductor with St Paul's Knightsbridge Festival Choir
2008
American premiere of Messyah (25 movements) at Old St Mary's Cathedral San Francisco (Sanford Dole Ensemble)
And the glory of the Lord commissioned and performed by Wartburg College Iowa
2006
21 movements of Messyah premiered at St George's Church Hanover Square (Handel's own parish church) to a packed audience at the London Handel Festival fringe
Sinfonia (Overture)
The people that walked in darkness
Pifa (Pastoral Symphony) / There were shepherds abiding in the field
And the angel said unto them
And suddenly / Glory to God
For unto us a Child is born
And He shall purify
Surely He hath borne our griefs
And with His stripes we are healed
All we like sheep
All they that see Him
He trusted in God
Thy rebuke hath broken His heart
Let us break their bonds asunder
The Lord gave the word
Lift up your heads
Hallelujah
Since by man came death
I know that my Redeemer liveth
Blessing and honour
Amen
and live concert CD recording released
2005
Paul held a workshop, making demo recordings of short sections of some movements, as a 'road-test' for Messyah
1998
choral and brass parts added to I know that my Redeemer liveth for a service at St Peter's Church Ealing
1998-2002
Paul Ayres and Rosemary Forbes-Butler performed together as a Music of the Fuchsia, a 'classical cabaret', often including Baroque songs recast into twentieth-century musical idioms - one of these was I know that my Redeemer liveth
Messyah homepage
list of individual movements (including online recordings)
reviews and comments
CD recording
catalogue (sheet music)
Paul Ayres homepage
[information updated August 2015]