Handel's Messiah
Recommended
This event is in the past
Fri., Dec. 9, 7:30 p.m., Sat., Dec. 10, 7:30 p.m., Sun., Dec. 11, 3 p.m. and Mon., Dec. 12, 7:30 p.m. 2016
First Baptist Church
Southwest Portland (Portland)
Call me a Grinch, but the worst part of the holidays is modern holiday music. The last half-century has given us a cornucopia of reindeer- and snowflake-themed sap that’s nauseating enough to make you reenact the Virgin Mary’s immaculate morning sickness. If you prefer festive listening that’d never be played at the Gap, why not double down with classical? The Portland Baroque Orchestra can help—its annual performances of Handel’s Messiah are something of a local holiday tradition, and deservedly so. Messiah is among the most beloved choral works in Western music, a gorgeous and frequently thrilling piece. PBO performs using period instruments, which means that this version is about as close as possible to what Handel would have witnessed himself. And if your attention span doesn’t exceed the length of a Netflix holiday special, the final performance is abridged—just the highlights. NATHAN TURNER