2009 sees the 250th anniversary of the death of George Frederic Handel who, although he was born in Germany, lived the last 36 years of his life in England.

On Saturday March 21, at 7.30pm at Launceston Central Methodist Church, Launceston Choral Society will be paying its tribute to this great adopted Englishman by performing his best known choral work, "Messiah". Though the first part of this oratorio is often associated with Christmas, the Society will be performing Parts 2 and 3. Part 2 contemplates the Passion and death of Jesus and concludes with the familiar Hallelujah Chorus. It was at this point in the oratorio, during one of the early London performances, that King George II spontaneously rose to his feet in a spirit of exaltation. Audiences have traditionally repeated this practice ever since. In Part 3, Handel moves to the resurrection. It opens with the moving soprano aria I Know That My Redeemer Liveth, and concludes with the chorus Worthy is the Lamb and Amen..

The Society and Musical director, Jonathan Mann, will once again be welcoming their regular soloists, Dawn Felton, soprano, Gordon Pike, tenor, Ian Hardy, baritone and Margaret Parfitt, alto, and the performance will feature local trumpeter, Joanne Baker-Teixeira. Jo began her musical career playing flugelhorn with Launceston Town Band before studying trumpet and flugelhorn at the Royal Northern School of Music where she played with the Hallé Orchestra on occasion. After her marriage, she played with professional orchestras in Portugal.

The Society is extremely grateful to Philip Warren and Son, Graziers and Craft Butchers, for their generous sponsorship of the performance of this uplifting work which is particularly appropriate for the Easter period. At the end of the concert there will be the usual retiring collection in aid of St Luke's Hospice in Plymouth.