Messiah

At the time this recording was released, there weren’t many period-instrument performances of Handel’s magisterial Christmas oratorio Messiah on the market yet. Now there’s a bumper crop of them, and many are outstanding, but this is the one I keep coming back to. Hogwood leads the choir of Oxford’s Christ Church Cathedral and his own Academy of Ancient Music orchestra through a joyful and powerful performance, and the singing by featured sopranos Judith Nelson and Emma Kirkby is especially impressive. A balance of lightness and power is particularly essential for this music, and Hogwood and his players and singers manage that balance perfectly. The recorded sound is excellent as well.