By Sean Moriarty

Fans of classical music are in for a rare Christmas treat with the announcement that ‘Messiah by Handel’ will be performed in St Mary’s Cathedral on December 11.

The 18th century oratorio (a piece of music which tells a story) will be performed by Dublin Bach Singers, a 25 member classical music choir based in the Pro-Cathedral in Dublin.

It is the choir's first ever Killarney appearance and will be their first performance anywhere since Christmas 2019.

Three of the group's soloists have strong connections with Kerry. Sharon Lyons lives in Killarney, Leanne Fitzgerald is from Lixnaw, and Conor Prendiville, who will be travelling to Killarney immediately after a series of performances in the Wexford opera festival, is from Killorglin.

“We do about four concerts per year," Dublin Bach Singers’ manager Jonathan Baum told the Killarney Advertiser.

“In Killarney, we are going to do 'Messiah by Handel', which premiered in Dublin in 1742. We will have a choir, orchestra and four soloists - soprano, alto, tenor and bass. It's an oratorio about the story of Jesus, from the annunciation to the crucifixion. It's our first concert since Christmas 2019. We started rehearsing for a concert which was scheduled for March 2020 but it had to be cancelled.”

The performance will be lead by music director is Blanaid Murphy.

"The choir, orchestra and soloists are very excited about our first ever concert in Killarney. A performance of Messiah is always the perfect way to kick off the festive season, and we're sure the audience will love it. It might even become an annual tradition," he added.

Tickets are €25 and are available at www.eventbrite.ie.