Oxford’s 1749 Messiah

In 1749, the hottest new music in London arrived in Oxford to mark the opening of the Radcliffe Camera. 

In honour of the architectural connection between the Radcliffe Camera and the new Schwarzman Centre, period ensemble Instruments of Time and Truth and conductor Edward Higginbottom bring Messiah to life in a full-length version rarely heard today. 

Drawing on Oxford’s archives, this performance aims to recreate the version premiered in Oxford by former Heather Professor of Music and Magdalen College organist, William Hayes, who was instrumental in taking Messiah to the provinces and making it the famous work it is today. 

Expect a performance honouring the 18th-century spirit: ambitious, celebratory, and full of invention.