When we saw this in the Hop calendar, we were surprised that this was scheduled in May rather than December. I was informed by one of the singers that this was actually an Easter piece, so the idea was to have it shortly after Easter this year.
It is always a beautiful piece, and the group did a fine job. One of the soloists was a contra-tenor, and I still have a hard time with that eerie voice.
This was the last concert by Robert Duff, who has been conducting the Handel Society for about 15 years.