Handel’s “Messiah” @ Duke Chapel

In this unusual year and despite Duke Chapel being closed to the public this decades-long tradition needed to continue. On Sunday, December 6, we performed a live broadcast of the solo and instrumental sections of Part 1 of “Messiah”. Audio recordings of the choruses from last year’s Messiah were interspersed along with images and graphics. 

The video is available to watch through Christmas Day for no charge. You can watch it here.

From the Duke Chapel website:

Now in its eighty-eighth year, the annual presentation of Handel’s Messiah at Duke Chapel is one of the oldest and most beloved musical traditions at Duke University. This year, we continue that tradition in a non-traditional fashion, blending live performances of arias and recitatives with virtual, sing-along choruses created from 2019’s Messiah concerts. The online program will include all of Part I—the Christmas portion—plus the “Hallelujah” chorus.

Molly Quinn, soprano
Audrey Walstrom, mezzo soprano
Henry Branson, tenor
Christopher Short, baritone
Duke Chapel Choir
Mallarmé Chamber Players
Dr. Zebulon Highben, director

Although tickets are free this year, donations are welcomed to ensure that Messiah continues at Duke Chapel for generations to come. To donate, click HERE and select “Duke Chapel Choir and Chapel Music Endowment.” All donors will receive a copy of a special commemorative Messiah program.

Note: This live event is presented with enhanced health and safety precautions, in consultation with Duke’s Occupational and Environmental Safety Office, enabling the musicians to safely perform. Camera angles may reduce or distort the appearance of distances between performers.