Iconic moment of music history will to be recreated in Harborough village church ​​​​​​​​​​​​​​

An iconic moment of music history is to be recreated in a Harborough village church where Handel’s Messiah was performed for the first time in a parish church back in 1759.
St Peter’s Church in Church Langton (courtesy of www.churchlangton.org.uk)St Peter’s Church in Church Langton (courtesy of www.churchlangton.org.uk)
St Peter’s Church in Church Langton (courtesy of www.churchlangton.org.uk)

The landmark musical event will go ahead at St Peter’s Church in Church Langton on Saturday May 14.

The Community Choir, made up of singers from different choirs in Leicestershire, will be accompanied by Knighton Chamber Orchestra when they perform Handel’s most-loved work ‘The Messiah’.

St Peter’s Church is famous for its acoustics and for staging the historic first performance of the famous piece in a parish church an astonishing 263 years ago.

The church was packed to the rafters in 1759 - and it’s expected to be just as crowded this time around.

Roz Folwell, one of the concert’s organisers, said: “Previously only performed in theatres, it is appropriate that this performance of ‘The Messiah’ is being staged this year on the 280th anniversary of the very first performance in Dublin on April 13, 1742.

“Recreating that performance is our way of demonstrating the remarkable heritage of our parish church and the concert is one of the activities we are holding which were made possible by the Heritage Lottery Fund.”

On Friday May 13 on the eve of the concert a lecture is to be staged on the remarkable story of the original event.

Former Leicester Mercury historian Neil Crutchley will explain how the Rev William Hanbury dreamed of turning Church Langton into a university with its own Minster.

You can find out how to buy tickets for the much-anticipated concert on: www.churchlangton.org.uk