Handel’s Messiah Comes to St Cross This Christmas

There are some pieces of music that seem to belong to Christmas. And there are some places where hearing them feels particularly special.

This December, the two come together when The Hanover Band brings Handel’s Messiah to the Chapel at the Hospital of St Cross for what promises to be a rather magical evening.

On Friday 18 December at 7pm, The Hanover Band and The Hanover Band Chorus will perform Handel’s great oratorio on original instruments, conducted by Robert Howarth and featuring soprano Phillipa Hyde.

For those who already know and love Messiah, this is a chance to hear a familiar masterpiece in surroundings that seem made for it. And if your knowledge begins and ends with the famous Hallelujah Chorus, this could be a wonderful introduction.

Music with the chorus at its heart

First performed in the 18th century, Messiah has become one of Handel’s best-loved works – filled with moments of extraordinary energy alongside passages of stillness and reflection.

While many oratorios place their soloists firmly in the spotlight, Messiah gives the chorus a starring role. The Hanover Band describes music that moves from the demanding fugue of He trusted in God to the stillness and wonder of Worthy is the Lamb, before reaching one of the most instantly recognisable moments in classical music: the Hallelujah Chorus.

There is, of course, a long tradition of audiences standing for the Hallelujah. The popular story is that King George II was so moved by the music that he rose to his feet and, because the King was standing, everybody else had to follow.

Unfortunately for a very good story, there’s no contemporary evidence that it actually happened.

So, as The Hanover Band rather reassuringly puts it, standing is strictly optional.

A very special setting

The setting for this performance will be every bit as memorable as the music.

The Chapel at St Cross has stood here for centuries, and its stone, soaring arches and extraordinary sense of stillness make it an atmospheric place at any time of year. On a December evening, filled with the sound of an orchestra and chorus performing one of the great works of the Baroque repertoire, it should be something else entirely.

The use of original instruments adds another dimension. The Hanover Band specialises in historically informed performance, bringing audiences closer to the colours and character the music would have had when it was first heard.

There is something rather wonderful about hearing music from the past brought vividly to life within a building that has witnessed so much history of its own.

A Christmas evening at St Cross

For almost 900 years, hospitality has been part of life at St Cross. We’re therefore particularly delighted to be welcoming The Hanover Band, its Chorus and audiences through our gates for this special performance.

Whether Messiah is part of your own Christmas tradition, you’ve always wanted to hear it performed live, or you simply fancy doing something rather beautiful in the run-up to Christmas, this is an evening to put in the diary.

Handel’s Messiah – The Hanover Band
Friday 18 December 2026, 7pm
The Chapel, Hospital of St Cross, Winchester SO23 9SD

Performed by The Hanover Band and The Hanover Band Chorus on original instruments, conducted by Robert Howarth and featuring soprano Phillipa Hyde.

Tickets are available here: https://www.ticketsource.com/thehanoverbandfoundation/messiah/e-kkodqa

For almost 900 years, St Cross has been shaped not simply by its buildings, but by the people who have lived, worked, worshipped, visited and given their time here.

Today, volunteers continue to play an enormously important part in the life of the Hospital – and we’d love to welcome more people into that community.

You might already know St Cross well. Perhaps you regularly walk through the water meadows, have visited the gardens or stopped for tea and cake. Or perhaps you’ve always wondered what lies beyond the gates and are looking for an enjoyable way to discover somewhere new.

Either way, volunteering can be a wonderful way to get to know St Cross from a completely different perspective.

There are all sorts of ways to get involved

We’re currently looking to grow our pool of volunteers, both for particular events and to support life at St Cross more generally.

We don’t expect everyone to arrive with specialist knowledge or commit huge amounts of time. Opportunities will vary, and we hope to find ways for people with different interests, skills and availability to become involved.

If being outdoors is your thing, for example, there may be opportunities to lend a hand in our beautiful gardens – spending time in very special surroundings while helping us care for them.

Events offer another way to dip your toe into volunteering, with everything from welcoming visitors to helping activities run smoothly.

And some of our volunteers are already very familiar faces.

A big thank you to our Tearoom volunteers

Anyone who has enjoyed a warm welcome, good coffee and homemade cake in the Hundred Men’s Hall Tearooms will have experienced volunteering at St Cross first-hand.

Our wonderful team of Tearoom volunteers give their time, energy and enthusiasm to make HMH such a welcoming place for visitors. We’re hugely grateful for everything they do – and they provide a brilliant example of the difference volunteers can make to the experience of St Cross.

It’s about much more than getting jobs done. Volunteers become part of the life and personality of the place.

Fancy giving it a try? Start with Michaelmas

If you’re curious about volunteering but aren’t quite sure where to begin, this year’s Michaelmas Fair on Saturday 26 September is the perfect opportunity to try it.

It’s one of the busiest, liveliest and most enjoyable days in our calendar, when St Cross fills with music, medieval re-enactments, traditional games, artisan stalls, food, drink and visitors.

We’re looking for volunteers to help with traditional family games, welcome visitors at the entrances, assist with parking and general stewarding, and lend a hand with setting up and packing away.

You don’t need to commit to the whole day. If you can spare a few hours before, during or after the Fair, we’d be delighted to hear from you.

Volunteers will receive free entry to the Fair and either a breakfast bap to start the day or a voucher for refreshments – as well as the considerable satisfaction of being right in the middle of everything.

Come and see where it leads

Perhaps you’ll volunteer for a few hours at Michaelmas and leave having discovered that you’d like to become more involved. Perhaps gardening appeals. Perhaps another opportunity will emerge that suits you perfectly.

For now, we’re keeping the invitation deliberately broad.

If you have some time to give and would enjoy spending more of it at one of Winchester’s most remarkable historic places, come and have a conversation with us.

There’s no need to know exactly how you’d like to help. Just bring your interest, enthusiasm and a willingness to get involved.

To volunteer at the Michaelmas Fair, or to register your interest in future volunteering opportunities at St Cross, please contact Louise, our Deputy Clerk, at office@hopsitalofstcross.co.uk.

We’d love to welcome you into the St Cross community.