'Messiah' at St Michael's Church, Helston, with orchestra

The concert will be held at St. Michael's Church in Helston this Saturday, November 30, starting at 7.30pm.

Tickets are available at £15, which includes festive refreshments, and students and under-18s can attend for free.

Tickets can be purchased in advance from Helston Bookshop or at the door on the night.

Under the direction of Martin Palmer, the choir has about 40 singers and is known for its diversity in classical repertoire.

Martin Palmer, who was recently head of music at Truro School and also conducts Truro Choral Society, has been leading the choir.

The performance of 'Messiah' will also see the participation of singers from Helston Community College.

First performed in Dublin on April 13, 1742, Handel's 'Messiah' was composed in 1741 and has a text compiled from the King James Bible by Charles Jennens.

The London premiere of the oratorio took place a year later, and it received wide acclaim from the press at the time.

The initial performance raised £400 for three charities and made history with its unique request to the audience to remove swords and avoid hoop dresses for larger accommodation.

The custom of standing for the Hallelujah Chorus is said to have originated from King George II's supposed gesture at the London premiere, although there is no definitive evidence to support this.

Helston Chamber Choir, which has been in its current form since 2009, has a rich history of performing a variety of classical works, ranging from the 16th century to 20th-century composers such as Britten, Rutter, and Geilo.

Their next rehearsal will take place on January 16 for Palestrina’s Missa Aeterna Christi Munera, Lotti’s Crucifixus, and Chilcott’s Little Jazz Mass, which will be performed on April 12, a week before Easter.

The choir also has a summer concert scheduled for June 28, featuring works by Pascoe and Rutter.

For more information about the choir, interested individuals can visit helstonchamberchoir.org