Born in Germany, Handel spent nearly 50 years based in London. In the 1730s, his interest in composing sacred oratorios grew, and his approach to the form focused on the human response to the divine. Over the course of just a few weeks in the summer of 1741, Handel composed the entirety of his oratorio Messiah, which had a triumphant premiere six months later at a new concert hall in Dublin.

Nearly 300 years later, Messiah continues to fill Hill Auditorium with its ravishing beauty, brought to life by friends and colleagues from the community. Music director Scott Hanoian conducts the UMS Choral Union and the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra in this annual holiday tradition.