South Florida Symphony Orchestra (SFSO) will light up the stage with the return of its popular holiday program with performances of Handel’s glorious Messiah, and timeless uplifting Holiday Pops on December 2, at 7:30 p.m., at The Parker in Fort Lauderdale. Sebrina María Alfonso, music director, will conduct the performances featuring soloists Katherine Henly (soprano), Lisa Marie Rogali (mezzo-soprano), Chauncey Packer (tenor) and Neil Nelson (bass baritone), and the South Florida Symphony Chorus.

Jonathan Kandell of Smithsonian magazine writes, “A musical rite of the holiday season, the Baroque-era oratorio still awes listeners 250 years after the composer’s death.” In 1789, Mozart posthumously paid Handel the supreme compliment of reorchestrating Messiah but even Mozart confessed himself to be humble in the face of Handel’s genius describing his orchestrations: “When he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt.” In 1823, Beethoven proclaimed Handel to be the ‘greatest’ composer that ever lived.

SFSO’s 2023 holiday program will open with a selection of time-honored Holiday Pops festive favorites including selections from The Polar Express, How the Grinch Stole Christmas, Bocelli’s The Prayer, plus audience sing-alongs. SFSO will then launch into Part I of Handel’s Messiah. The performance culminates with the iconic “Hallelujah” chorus as sung by the South Florida Symphony Chorus, made-up of seasoned chorale singers and community talent, directed by Dr. Giselle Elgarresta Rios. Rios and Maestra Alfonso collaborated to create the South Florida Symphony Chorus in 2019, which made its debut at the Beethoven 250th celebration in February of 2020.

Tickets for Handel’s Messiah start at $15 for the December 2 concert at The Parker (707 NE 8th St, Fort Lauderdale) and can be purchased online at https://southfloridasymphony.org/handels-messiah or via the Broward Center for the Performing Arts Box Office at (954) 462-0222.