After thirty years, London audiences finally get to hear Gospel Messiah (originally called Too Hot to Handel when it premiered in New York in 1993). World-class conductor Marin Alsop, who created the whole mad thing, returns to the Royal Albert Hall to lead the BBC Concert Orchestra in an absolutely hallucinogenic fusion of classical, musical theatre, jazz, big band, and — of course — gospel.

Arranged by Bob Christianson and Gary Anderson, this adapted version of Handel’s Messiah bursts with invention, while still maintaining light and shade throughout, and, above all, rediscovering the evangelical joy and rapture of the original. Conductor Alsop runs a tight ship, and thanks to incredible sound tech, we are able to appreciate every stab of syncopation and every jazz inflection, from piano to saxophone section.

Acclaimed jazz soloist Vanessa Haynes takes the lead in most of the reimagined ‘numbers’ (originally from Trinidad, she’s best known as the lead singer of British acid jazz group Incognito). Her sultry, smoky voice brings a depth of feeling to the explicitly Christian lyrics. But it’s surely the enormous combined forces of the BBC Symphony Chorus and London Adventist Chorale that is the star of the show: under Alsop’s direction, every word is crisp and charged with rediscovered energy.

South African classical tenor Zwakele Tshabalala is the only weak link in the chain, with a few pitch issues, and the only performer who doesn’t seem to “understand the assignment” in terms of combining classical technique with contemporary rhythms.

You can read more about the performance on 7 December 2023 here.