In 2022, River City Voices broke the mold of a beloved Christmas tradition by uniting Handel’s Messiah, a choral classic, with brand new performance poetry for its BRAVE series.

In 2025, Slam Messiah is back - with the same iconic music, and all new poets and poems. Presented as a shortened chamber version perfect for new audiences, three talented Western Sydney poets respond to the issues the music contains, framed by Handel’s thrilling arias and compelling choruses, including the famous ‘Hallelujah’ chorus.

Whether this is your first Messiah or your fiftieth, Slam Messiah offers you the chance to discover what messages this masterwork work offers us in 2025. Handel’s Messiah was born from one man’s struggle to keep his faith alive in the face of changing times and governments. The times are different, but the issues remain the same. What does redemption sound like today?
Whose voices are lifted, and whose are silenced?
And how will our slam poets respond?

This matinee performance is AUSLAN interpreted.

Additional performance: Saturday 6 December, 7.30pm

Conductor: Dr Sarah Penicka-Smith
Poets:
Daniel Mehareb
Rania Omar
Charnel Rizk

Soloists:
Kerry Nicholson - Soprano
Wesley Yu - Tenor
Michael Lampard - Bass

Ensemble - The Muffat Collective

Partner - PYT Fairfield