Â鶹Éç

Christmas comes early to Wales this year, with the first Messiah of the season taking place on Sunday 6 November.

Mega Messiah poster

A major part of Christmas for many classical music lovers in Wales is getting their annual Messiah 'fix' - whether it's taking part or being in the audience. Handel's most famous piece - the Hallelujah Chorus is arguably the most recognizable piece of music in the world - has always had a special place in the Welsh heart.

The Welsh fondness for oratorio goes back to the middle of the 19th century. Through a combination of the strong Nonconformist chapel community, with its tradition of congregational singing in harmony, and the setting up of choirs and bands associated with factories and mines, everyone was singing.

Ambitious conductors wanted their choirs to win medals in competitions, and the popularity of the Tonic Solfa system for learning music and the publication of the cheap Novello scores made it possible for choirs to learn these substantial pieces of music more easily than ever before.

The subject matter of the great oratorios, often based on Old Testament stories, were close to the hearts of the many devout chapelgoers. These pieces were often very dramatic in nature, in particular Mendelssohn's Elijah, but didn't involve the great cost of staging opera. An oratorio could easily be put on in the local church, chapel or village hall, accompanied by the organ or a small orchestra. Famous soloists were often booked to take part, and performances were so frequent that the train between Cardiff and Merthyr became known as the 'Messiah Express'.

Messiah in particular had everything going for it as far as the Welsh audience was concerned, with its subject matter ranging from the Old Testament prophecies through to the New Testament Resurrection. It's usually performed in the lead up to Christmas, and less often before Easter. It's full of beautiful solos and rousing choruses but also moments of orchestral serenity, and everyone has their particular favourite numbers.

Another reason for Messiah's popularity is that, while it isn't easy, most of the choruses are within the capability of most choirs. But perhaps it's because choristers in Wales are so familiar with Messiah that it doesn't take long to get it back up to speed every year.

If you're within striking range of Cardiff, there are several Messiahs coming up that will scratch your itch. The first, known as Mega Messiah, is in the afternoon of ; you can either sign up to bring your copy and sing, along with hundreds filling the stalls, or just listen as a member of the audience.

Then, the Cardiff Polyphonic Choir give their . And if you're feeling more like a pre-Easter Messiah, yet another of Cardiff's great music venues - the new Dora Stoutzker Hall in the Royal Welsh College of Music & Drama - hosts the ' version on Saturday 31 March.