Handel’s Messiah was composed over the course of a month in 1741, six months before its premiere in Dublin at a new concert hall where several of Handel’s operas were also performed.Nearly 300 years later, Handel’s Messiah still invokes joy, and UMS’s 139th year of presenting the oratorio fills audiences with emotion for both the beauty of the piece and the pride of hearing friends and colleagues from the community bring this glorious work to life.