RSNO: Handel's Messiah

The Royal Scottish National Orchestra are back at The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall on Saturday 2 January 2027 with Messiah, the Handel masterpiece that's become one of their annual traditions. It's a matinee, starting at 15:00 and running for about two and a half hours, with a twenty-minute interval in the middle.

Most of us already know at least a few of the tunes — Ev'ry Valley, For Unto Us a Child is Born, and the Hallelujah Chorus are the ones that stick in the head — but hearing the whole thing performed live is a different experience. The RSNO describe it as a life-affirming way to start the new year, and they're not wrong; there's something about a full chorus and orchestra working through the whole work that hits harder than the bits you've heard in isolation.

On the podium is conductor Peter Whelan, leading the RSNO with four soloists: soprano Rachel Redmond, mezzo-soprano Helen Charlston, tenor Anthony Gregory, and bass-baritone Ashley Riches. The RSNO Chorus is conducted by Stephen Doughty, and BSL is performed by Paul Whittaker. It's Scotland's national orchestra playing in their home venue, and the whole thing comes recommended by Classic FM.

The Glasgow Royal Concert Hall is one of the city's most prestigious spots, known for its curved stone exterior and an auditorium that seats up to 2,475 people. It's a space that's hosted names as varied as BB King, Johnny Cash, Van Morrison, David Byrne, and Debbie Harry, and it's an acoustically excellent room for a work like this. The performance starts at 15:00 on Saturday 2 January, with the interval giving you a chance to stretch your legs halfway through.