The Messiah has always been one of Mercury Baroque's most popular programs. This year, the orchestra will perform the rarely heard ‘Dublin’ version of the Messiah –the original version of the piece first performed in 1741 in Dublin. Handel hastily wrote The Messiah in just three weeks, but he constantly modified it throughout his lifetime to suit different singers, venues and to please different audiences. Mercury Baroque’s performance of the ‘Dublin’ version of The Messiah provides the audience a connection to the style and spirit of Handel by using his original manuscript and performing it on period-accurate instruments.