Handel's Messiah
St Brendan's R.C. Church,
Wilmer Road, Birr
Sunday 7 December, 5.00pm
Cambiata Chamber Choir & Orchestra
Kelli-Ann Masterson soprano
Sarah Richmond alto
Seán Tester tenor
John Molloy bass
Niall Kinsella conductor
Birr Festival of Music presents Handel’s Messiah, performed by Cambiata Chamber Choir & Orchestra in the beautiful setting of St Brendan’s R.C Church on Wilmer Road.
Featuring the famous ‘Hallelujah Chorus’, Handel’s Messiah is one of the most beloved works in the choral repertoire, its message of hope and joy forever linked with the Christmas season.
The oratorio also holds a special place in Irish music history: its world premiere took place in Dublin in 1742 at Neal’s Musick Hall, Fishamble Street, where audiences were asked to leave their hoop skirts and swords at home to make room for the eager crowds!
Now, Birr welcomes this great masterpiece (for the first time in many years) for a festive evening with choir, full orchestra, and a line-up of outstanding soloists, under the baton of Niall Kinsella.
✨A glorious evening of music not to be missed!
(No swords or hoop-skirts, please!)
Tickets €25 + booking fee
Duration: 2 hours 10 mins approx (including 20 minute interval)
Cambiata Chamber Choir & Orchestra
Cambiata, a project-based ensemble, was established by conductor Niall Kinsella in 2012, and is comprised of hand-picked singers and instrumentalists.
The word ‘cambiata’ means ‘changing note’, reflecting the changing nature of the ensemble itself.
Cambiata have performed works including Haydn’s Stabat Mater, Britten’s A Ceremony of Carols, Faure’s Requiem, and Handel’s Messiah several times around Ireland, in Castletown House (Celbridge), St Peter’s Church of Ireland (Drogheda), St Columba’s Church (Kells), and Mary Immaculate, Refuge of Sinners (Dublin).
Kelli-Ann Masterson soprano
Irish Soprano Kelli-Ann Masterson is an alumna of both the ABL Irish National Opera Studio 2019-2021 and Northern Ireland Opera Studio 2018-2019.
She is a current Cara O’ Sullivan Associate Artist with Cork Opera House (2023-2025).
A multi-prize winner, Kelli-Ann was the 2022 recipient of the Bernadette Greevy bursary from the National Concert Hall, Dublin and was a finalist in the 2022 BA Lirica International Voice Competition, Italy. Other accolades include first prize in the Dramatic Cup at Feis Ceoil, Dublin and both the PwC bursary for an emerging Irish artist and the Liam Healy bursary at Wexford Festival Opera.
Sarah Richmond alto
Mezzo-Soprano Sarah Richmond has been praised as "full bodied in presence and sound" (The Times), "...consistently supple and finely shaped coloratura portrayed the kaleidoscope of feelings endured by her character. Brava". (Opera Now), "perfectly pitched dramatically, vocally and with clarity of diction". (Seen and Heard International), "commanding" (Theatre News) and "searing virtuosity" (Classical Source).
Winner of the 2021 Toronto Mozart Vocal Competition, 2022 New York NYIOP ANON Competition, 2021 Premio Speciale Mozart at Concorso Lirico Arturo Toscanini and finalist at the 2022 Montserrat Caballé Competition in Teatro Real.
Seán Tester tenor
Irish tenor Seán Tester recently graduated from the Royal Irish Academy of Music (RIAM) with a Master in Music Performance. Seán studied under Prof. Owen Gilhooly-Miles and was a recipient of the BVOF | RIAM John Pollard Bursary.
Seán made his international role debut in Switzerland in Rossini's Guillaume Tell in the role of Rodolphe at Nouvel Opéra Fribourg/Neue Oper Freiburg, a co-production with Irish National Opera.
Other roles have been performed by Seán in operas including Postcard from Morocco (RIAM Opera), The Fairy Queen (Korčula Baroque Festival), Rigoletto (covering Il Duca di Mantova) with Irish National Opera, and Snout in Benjamin Britten's A Midsummer Night’s Dream.
John Molloy bass
Birr native John Molloy studied at the DIT Conservatory of Music and Drama, the Royal Northern College of Music in Manchester and the National Opera Studio in London.
Highlight operatic engagements have included: Alidoro in Rossini’s La Cenerentola (Scottish Opera), Guccio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi (Royal Opera House, London), Masetto in Mozart’s Don Giovanni (English National Opera), Arthur in Peter Maxwell Davies’s The Lighthouse and the title role in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (Nationale Reisopera, Netherlands), Le Commandeur in Thomas’s La cour de Célimène (Wexford Festival Opera), Angelotti in Puccini’s Tosca, Luka in Walton’s The Bear, Banco in Verdi’s Macbeth and Dulcamara in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore (OTC and NI Opera), Raimondo in Donizetti’s Lucia di Lammermoor (Opera Holland Park), Older Man in the European premiere of Emma O'Halloran and Mark O’Halloran's Trade, Arthur in Peter Maxwell Davies’s The Lighthouse, Colline in Puccini’s La bohème, Angelotti in Puccini’s Tosca, and Don Alfonso in Mozart’s Così fan tutte, Antonio in Mozart’s The Marriage of Figaro (Irish National Opera).
Niall Kinsella conductor
Irish conductor Niall Kinsella has established himself as one of the most exciting musicians of his generation.
He has appeared as guest conductor with the RTÉ Concert Orchestra and the Ulster Orchestra, with performances broadcast on RTÉ and BBC Radio.
In 2025 he established The Niall Kinsella Orchestra, Ireland’s newest professional orchestra dedicated to performing classic Broadway and Hollywood music with style and authenticity. Niall has conducted several major choral works including, Mozart's 'Great' Mass in C minor, Carl Orff's Carmina Burana, Durufle’s Requiem, Haydn’s Stabat Mater, and Handel’s Messiah. In 2024, he also conducted Sing Ireland's 'Come and Sing' Fauré Requiem, with over 140 singers from across Ireland.
Niall studied at the Royal Irish Academy of Music, Dublin and the University of Music and Performing Arts, Vienna.
He is also Artistic Director of Birr Festival of Music.