Messiah. Multiplied.

What if Messiah is not someone but something? An ethic of care? A movement of inclusivity?

Anchored by the thunderous “Hallelujah Chorus,” Handel’s Messiah has been beloved by audiences since its 1743 sold-out debut. It tells the story of one man’s work to make his world a better place. The story is a universal one: it speaks to creation, struggle, and transformation, and yet its details are limiting to other religions and frameworks of identity.

Messiah. Multiplied. employs Handel’s powerful music to tell a more universal and inclusive story. By re-envisioning the central character as “we” instead of “he,” Messiah Multiplied asks “What if ‘Messiah’ is not someone but something: an ethic of care, a movement of inclusivity? What if ‘Messiah' is a change we can bring about together?”

“It was, in a word, spectacular. So moving. So necessary.”

- Audience Member

“The reshaped text was communitarian and an invitation to all! Musically, it was energized perfection.”

- Audience Member

Using Handel’s own scores and academic research, Messiah Multiplied:

Proposes that Handel made these variations not just for logistical reasons but to represent and embrace the fluid vision of gender and sexuality that was present among 18th-century Italian and English aristocracy.

Engages the Baroque tradition of repurposing music for various compositions and with different texts to create a version of Messiah that is inclusive of Jewish and ecumenical interpretations.

Reorders the movements of the famed work and modifies pronouns to tell a new narrative of collaborative change and inclusivity.

READ TEXTS

READ PROGRAM NOTES

WHAT: A performance (85 minutes) that reimagines Handel’s Messiah for the contemporary landscape. Grounded in your community, and brought to life by our artistic team, Messiah Multiplied is designed to be performed by a local chorus (university, church, or community) and chamber orchestra. Dr. Emily Isaacson.

Events could include:

Messiah Sing Along - A one-night rehearsal, concert, and party in celebration of Handel’s Messiah where amateur singers and music lovers perform alongside professional soloists.

Bagels and Messiahs - Local faith leaders discuss the concept of “messiah” in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam as well as how Messiah Multiplied offers an interpretation for atheists.
Pre-concert lecture and/or post-concert Q&A - Prepared lecture or free-form discussion led by Dr. Isaacson with featured artists.
Messiah/Complex Film Screening - View the award-winning Against the Grain film Messiah/Complex, which showcases “multilingual translations and a diverse cast of soloists and choirs from across Canada.”

WHO: Your choir + chamber orchestra + soloists + music director

Your Community Choir –

Mid-level amateur choir of 24-70 singers from university, church, or arts nonprofit; choir is prepped by local conductor

Chamber orchestra –

String orchestra of at least 6 violins, 3 violas, 2 cellos, and bass
oboe, basson, trumpet, harpsichord, and timpani
Musicians can be sourced from your community or contracted by Classical Uprising

Soloists – Professional soloists chosen from region by Classical Uprising
- Soprano, Soprano, Baritone

Music Director and Conductor Dr. Emily Isaacson – 2018 Maine Artist of the Year; 2022 American Prize Winner

HOW: Messiah Multiplied uses Classical Uprising’s score materials and conductor, along with your choir and your local professional instrumentalists, and soloists. The piece can be performed in a wide variety of settings, and it premiered at the First Parish Church in Brunswick, ME.