The Eugene Concert Choir was formed by a group of singers who came together as a result of their participation in a sing-along Messiah twenty-five years ago. In recognition of that original gathering of voices, the first concert of the season will feature the complete Messiah by G.F. Handel.

Although Handel's Messiah has been performed thoughout the world for centuries, there can be no definitive performance because Handel never prepared a score for publication. This was not an uncommon practice for Baroque composers. Handel conducted the piece in person for the eighteen years of performances during his lifetime. His original handwritten score is more akin to a first draft than a reliable source of the composer's intentions.

He completed the original score in 1742 and had a copyist make a cleaner, more readable copy which he used for all his performances. However, this copied score contained numerous revisions, changes of voices and keys and movements added or rearranged to suit specific performances or certain soloists. Each of his performances differed from one location and group of musicians to the next, thus making Messiah one of the most challenging compositions facing any contemporary choir.

The libretto was compiled from Biblical verses and traces the life of Christ and beyond His death to the life of faith. The Christmas story and the Passion of Christ are depicted dramatically as the chorus assumes the character of angels, angry crowds, or rebellious rulers. Often, this masterwork is performed with many movements cut from the whole, resulting in a loss of continuity and dramatic effect. The Eugene Concert Choir, however, will present Messiah in its entirety.