Well over 400 people attended the Brantford Symphony Orchestra’s (BSO) performance of Handel’s Messiah at the Sanderson Centre for Performing Arts on Saturday, December 13, 2025.
Composed by George Frideric Handel, the classic English language oratorio is said to have been written in just 24 days back in 1741.
The work was inspired by the life of Jesus Christ, from prophecy and birth to his resurrection and final triumph. While Handel composed all of the music, the lyrics are entirely based on biblical texts from both the King James version of the Old and New Testament, and the Book of Common Prayer by Charles Jennens.
Joining the BSO on stage were members of the Grand River Chorus and soloists Elizabeth Lepock, Ben Wallace, Katie Walshaw and Marcel van Helden.
Before the performance got under way, Joann Alho and Maureen Wills, Co-Chairs of the BSO Board of Directors, acknowledged that that it would be the last holiday show with the BSO for Philip Sarabura, the Artistic Director and conductor, and Leslie Dawn Knowles’, the concertmaster.
“Philip is retiring at the end of this season, so please come to our March concert, which will be our final concert with him,” said Alho. “His 17-plus years with us have been a blessing, and we are sorry to see him go. It will also be the last concert for our concertmaster, Leslie Knowles. It’s going to be absolutely marvelous and we hope to see you there.”
After welcoming Knowles to the stage, Sarabura, Lepock, Wallace, Walshaw and van Halden soon joined the group for the Overture.
Making their way through the first half of the show, the four soloists took turns performing their various recitatives and arias, while the Grand River Chorus and orchestra also had their own moments to shine.
As the nearly 50-minute first half of the show came to a close with “His Yoke Is Easy,” the audience burst into applause for the first time that evening, having been asked at the beginning to hold off until then.
During intermission, Brantford resident Mike Wyatt was visibly moved when asked what he thought of the concert so far.
“Oh, this is just really good, I’m really enjoying it. I’ve sung Handel’s Messiah several times so I’ve been tapping my feet and I can’t help but want to sing along with them,” he said with a chuckle. “The orchestra is just amazing and I think the Grand River Chorus has been really good too. And those soloists… wow, they’re fantastic.”
“I’m really looking forward to hearing the next half and seeing whether the audience will stand for the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus,” he added.
After everyone returned to their seats and the musicians made their way back on stage, the second half officially opened with “Behold the Lamb of God.” The piece speaks of Jesus’ role in redeeming humanity from sin.
While both halves of the concert featured many string and wind instruments like the violin, viola, cello, upright bass, oboe, bassoon and harpsichord, the second half later saw the introduction of the timpani and trumpets. The addition added a full body sound as the narrative progressed through to the end.
As the “Hallelujah” chorus with all four soloists and the Grand River Chorus finally approached, the audience stood to their feet. A long-standing tradition, it was said to have begun when King George II stood during the 1743 premiere of Messiah in London, and the audience followed suit.
When the piece came to an end, the sound of the audience’s applause filled the theatre.
Ending the concert with “Worthy Is The Lamb,” members of the audience showed their appreciation for the performance with a resounding standing ovation.
Kimberly De Jong’s reporting is funded by the Canadian government through its Local Journalism Initiative.The funding allows her to report rural and agricultural stories from Blandford-Blenheim and Brant County. Reach her at kimberly.dejong@brantbeacon.ca.
