Handel - Messiah

Julia Doyle, Iestyn Davies, Allan Clayton, Andrew Foster-Williams, Polyphony, Britten Sinfonia, Stephen Layton

Polyphony and Stephen Layton’s live Messiah at St John’s Smith Square has become one of the highlights of the musical season. The joyful sincerity and urgent brilliance of the performers has brought the familiar story to life again and again. Now this wonderful experience is available on disc, recorded in 2008 for a new release that will surely prove a strong competitor in a necessarily crowded market. Polyphony is joined by the Britten Sinfonia and a quartet of magnificent young soloists – all variously acclaimed as the premier Handel singers of the new generation.

Classic FM Magazine Editor's Choice
Classic FM Magazine 50 Best Recordings of the Year

“Stephen Layton's musicians bring an unparalleled freshness to this familiar work, combining power with a delicacy faithful to Handel's Baroque sensibility.” (BBC Music Magazine)

Label: Hyperion

Release date: 2009