MESSIAH FROM SCRATCH®

ROYAL ALBERT HALL 

Sunday 8 November 2026

MORE INFORMATION

More info for Messiah from Scratch® at the Royal Albert Hall – the world’s most celebrated choral participation event.

How to book tickets
Booking is now online, and you must be subscribed to our mailing list in order to book singing tickets.  Full details here. 

About the performers
(clicking on the links will take you to a biography)
Vocal soloists for Messiah from Scratch® 2026 will be announced in the autumn.  As ever,  Brian Kay will conduct the English Festival Orchestra, and Jane Watts will play the Royal Albert Hall’s ‘Father’ Willis organ. 

About the charity
Messiah from Scratch® began working with a new charity partner in 2025. We are simply delighted to be working alongside The Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain, which will benefit from all programme sales, sponsorship and advertising. The connections between Messiah from Scratch®  and the Society are strong. Handel himself was one of the initial signatories to the trust document which set up the ‘Fund for decay’d Musicians’ in 1738. The name later changed to the Society of Musicians, and George III granted his royal patronage in 1784. He also decreed that a performances of Messiah should be given annually for the benefit of the Society, so the current association of the two organisations revives a proud and royal tradition.

About Messiah
Unbelievably, Handel wrote the 52 movements of Messiah in a mere 24 days, working at a feverish pace to keep up with his imagination.  The first performance in Dublin the following year (1742) met with great acclaim. However, indifference – even hostility – greeted the London première a year later. Handel had to wait until 1749 before Messiah achieved the popularity it has enjoyed ever since. The first ‘charity’ performance took place in 1750 for the benefit of the Foundling Hospital. Since then, Messiah has probably raised more money for charity than any other piece of music.

The tradition of English audiences standing for the Hallelujah Chorus dates back to the time of King George II. He reportedly jumped to his feet at this point in the performance, the rest of the audience deferentially following suit. People assumed that the King did so in sheer admiration although there are several other possible explanations!

For information on dining, parking and disabled access please visit the Royal Albert Hall website and browse their FAQs . You can also telephone 020 7589 8212.

More info for Messiah from Scratch ®:  Summary  —  How to book  —  Details for singers