Messiah, George Frederich Handel's most successful and best known oratorio, was composed in the year 1741 in just 24 days. It was first performed at a concert in Dublin, Ireland, in 1742, with Handel himself conducting. 

An oratorio is a dramatic sacred choral work, usually for soloists, chorus and orchestra, that is performed in "concert hall" style rather than "staged." 

The full score of Messiah, which consists of three sections, takes more than four hours to perform. This concert includes the first section, considered the "Christmas" section, and selections from the other two parts. The concert ends with the singing of the well known "Hallelujah Chorus" which comes from Part 2 of the oratorio.