It’s unlikely that any piece of music could challenge the supremacy of George Frideric Handel’s ever-beloved Messiah .

Every year, as Christmas approaches, concert halls, churches, cathedrals, schools and suchlike fill with the strains of the immortal opening “Comfort ye”, the succession of gorgeous arias and, of course, the Hallelujah Chorus. The oratorio begins with the story of Christ’s birth, continues with his crucifixion and concludes with the promise of resurrection, making it an ideal piece for (handily) both Christmas and Easter. Its popularity has rarely dwindled since the 1750s.

Handel, born in Halle in 1685, moved to Britain in 1712 and became a naturalised British citizen 15 years later. Unlike his contemporary JS Bach, he was a freelancer and an entrepreneur: he started

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