Georg Friedrich Handel – Messiah

With his "Messiah," Georg Friedrich Handel created one of the most famous and frequently performed works in music history. The oratorio, premiered in Dublin in 1742, combines dramatic expressiveness with deeply felt spirituality. Famous choruses like the triumphant "Hallelujah" make the work a moving experience for both the audience and performers to this day. In the impressive setting of the Liebfrauenkirche concert hall in Wernigerode, the traditional Stadtsingechor Halle and the Handel Festival Orchestra Halle present Handel's masterpiece. Using historical instruments, they blend youthful sonic freshness with authentic Baroque sound to create an interpretation that makes Handel's music palpable in all its vitality and brilliance. Soloists: Marie Luise Werneburg – soprano, Alex Potter – altus, Georg Poplutz – tenor, Felix Schwandtke – bass.

Handel Festival Orchestra Halle
The Handel Festival Orchestra Halle has been performing on historical instruments since 1993. Its affiliation with the Staatskapelle Halle, a concert and opera orchestra that plays on modern instruments, is unique in the German music scene. The specialized ensemble for early music continues the long tradition of promoting Handel in Halle and represents the city on concert tours both regionally and worldwide, including at the Stuttgart Music Festival, the Magdeburg Telemann Festival, the Bach Festival Leipzig, in the Elbphilharmonie Hamburg, as well as in Spain, France, Italy, and South Korea. As part of the Handel Festival Halle, it participates annually in the new production of a Handel opera. Since English conductor Howard Arman laid the foundation for the rapidly growing reputation of the ensemble, the Handel Festival Orchestra Halle has regularly collaborated with internationally recognized specialists such as Paul McCreesh, Marcus Creed, and Mayumi Hirasaki. Since 2021, Attilio Cremonesi has been the artistic director of the orchestra. Several CD and DVD recordings have been released, including Handel's "Lotario" and "La Resurrezione" under the direction of Attilio Cremonesi, set to be released in 2025 by the Naxos label. The Handel Festival Orchestra is the recipient of the Handel Prize from the city of Halle in 2025.

Stadtsingechor Halle
The history of the Stadtsingechor Halle dates back to 1116, when the Augustinian canonry Neuwerk was founded outside the city gates. Since that time, Halle has maintained the connection between simultaneous academic and musical education for boys. After 1565, the choir was named Stadtsingechor and was tasked with performing polyphonic music in the three main churches (Our Lady, St. Ulrich, and St. Moritz), supporting the congregation's choral singing, and singing daily in front of the residents' houses. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the Stadtsingechor regularly performed under outstanding cantors and organists such as Samuel Scheidt, Friedrich Wilhelm Zachow, the teacher of Georg Friedrich Handel, and Bach's son Wilhelm Friedemann. In 1808, the choir was incorporated into the Francke Foundations. Now under municipal sponsorship, approximately 90 active singers of the Stadtsingechor serve as cultural and educational ambassadors for Halle. The focus of the choir's work is the promotion of sacred music, particularly works from the Central German music tradition. The choir maintains a continuous collaboration with the Handel Festival Orchestra and the Staatskapelle Halle. Since 2014, Clemens Flämig has been the choir director of the Stadtsingechor. The Stadtsingechor is a member of the Association of German Concert Choirs (VDKC).

Clemens Flämig
Clemens Flämig was born in Dresden and sang in the Dresden Kreuzchor. He studied church music, choral conducting, and singing in Freiburg, Mannheim, and Trossingen. After his studies, he sang in various professional vocal ensembles in Germany and Switzerland and also worked as a freelance organist and conductor. Since 2014, Clemens Flämig has led the Stadtsingechor Halle. In addition to the choir's a cappella singing, he regularly organizes performances with musicians from the Staatskapelle and the Handel Festival Orchestra Halle. Clemens Flämig teaches conducting at the Protestant University of Church Music Halle and has also been leading the Josquin des Préz Chamber Choir in Leipzig since 2022. He regularly sings in the vocal ensemble of the J. S. Bach Foundation in St. Gallen and also conducts rehearsals as part of the project for the complete recording of J. S. Bach's vocal works.