Christmas time in Europe evokes roasting chestnuts on an open fire after a sleigh ride through softly driven snow, finishing with a strong hot toddy. Meanwhile in Brisbane, you are more likely to be roasting yourself – and your chestnuts – on a beach in 40-degree heat after surfing the waves and enjoying an ice-cold beer from the Esky. However, one annual European tradition enjoyed in both Brisbane and Europe is celebrating Christmas with Handel’s Messiah, presented by the Brisbane Chamber Choir at QPAC.

Surprisingly, the association between Messiah and Christmas took a long time to become established. It eventually became a traditional Christmas event during the 19th century, culminating in famously massive performances at London’s Crystal Palace featuring 400 musicians and up to 4,000 vocalists. Now, over 275 years later, Handel’s Messiah is synonymous with Christmas and is one of Brisbane’s traditional festive events alongside Shake & Stir’s A Christmas Carol and Queensland Ballet’s The Nutcracker.

The majestic three-part Messiah was actually the inspiration of Handel’s collaborator Charles Jennens, who developed a “Scripture Collection” on the life of Jesus, exploring the biblical...