Various Venues, Dublin.
The Dublin Handel Festival, presented by Temple Bar Cultural Trust, is not just a relative newcomer but also a minnow as international Handel celebrations go.
Germany’s major Handel festivals, in Göttingen and Halle (both running for over 50 years), dovetail so neatly that it would be possible for an eager enthusiast to feast on Handel at over 80 concerts and opera performances between May 22nd and June 3rd (in Göttingen) and from June 4th to 14th (in Halle).
The Dublin festival has expanded in this special anniversary year – Handel died in 1759 – and is now charging for concert tickets, though many events (talks, walks and workshops) remain free. This year's performances include an opera production ( Acis and Galateain a staging by Opera Theatre Company at the Guinness Storehouse on Wednesday), two oratorios ( Messiahwith the Choir of Christ Church Cathedral Choir under Judy Martin on Thursday, and Solomonwith the Guinness Choir under David Milne on Saturday week), a special anniversary concert from Our Lady's Choral Society under Proinnsías Ó Duinn (NCH, Tuesday) as well as the same forces' well-established outdoor performance of Messiahexcerpts at the site of the première on Fishamble Street (Monday at 1pm). The Irish Chamber Orchestra also contributes (playing excerpts from the Water Musicand a concerto grosso at the NCH on Sunday 19th) and there are concerts by counter tenor Graham Joseph ( An Evening With Handelat St Audoen's Church at 6pm on Tuesday), the Irish Baroque Orchestra Chamber Soloists (same venue at 8pm on Wednesday) and Trio Quattro (who are tempting listeners with Handel's Wardrobeat noon in City Hall on Sunday 19th).
The Goethe-Institut Choir gets in independently before the festival starts, with a partial performance of Messiah at St Patrick’s Cathedral on Saturday, and there’s also a separate RTÉ NSO lunchtime concert under Andreas Spering at the NCH on Tuesday, when the soloist will be soprano Ruby Hugheswho won the first prize and the audience prize at last weeks London Handel Festival Singing Competition..
