DEC 15 | KC Arts Beat Patrick Neas introduces Spire Chamber Ensemble’s upcoming performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Folly Theater in downtown Kansas City with a thoughtful review of both the work and the history of the Folly.
“When Handel’s Messiah was first performed in Dublin on April 13, 1742, the world was lit only by fire. Although that first performance happened at noon, most of Handel’s oratorios were performed in the evening in secular venues like the Covent Garden Theatre, which was illuminated entirely by chandeliers and sconces filled with candles. “We’re trying to recreate that as much as we can with hundreds and hundreds of candles all over the stage and on the side and the balconies of the Folly Theater, to really step back in time,” Ben Spalding says.
Handel’s Messiah was first performed at the Fishamble Street Music Hall in Dublin on 13 April 1742 13 April 1742 as a fundraiser for The Charitable and Musical Society for the Release of Imprisoned Debtors. To honor this charitable legacy, those attending Spire Chamber Ensemble’s performance of Handel’s Messiah are encouraged to bring a new, unwrapped toy or make a financial contribution to Children’s Mercy Hospital. (To make a contribution, https://tinyurl.com/5t4ftfrm)”