“Comfort ye, my people.”

The first words sung in Handel’s Messiah invite us all into a world of hope, renewal, and transcendence.

Composed in 1741, Handel’s timeless masterpiece has enraptured audiences for centuries with its sublime beauty and profound spirituality. From the jubilant “Hallelujah” chorus to its stirring arias and evocative chorales, Messiah is a celebration of the season’s true meaning: comfort, hope, and the promise of joy. Led by conductor Scott Hanoian and brought to life each year by friends and colleagues throughout the community who perform with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and the UMS Choral Union, this musical tradition continues to shine brightly — in fact, many attendees consider it the official start to the holiday season.