It’s December, so you’re probably starting to hear Christmas music everywhere. “Jingle Bells,” “Winter Wonderland,” “Santa Claus is Coming to Town” are all favorites, but what about the Hallelujah Chorus? You know that one right?

It’s the famous chorus from Handel’s Messiah. The Messiah was originally written in 1741 to celebrate Easter, but now thousands of orchestras around the world perform it every year at Christmas time.

In Chicago alone, you can go see the Chicago Symphony’s Messiah, the do-it-yourself Messiah, and even the Jazz Gospel Messiah at the Auditorium Theatre.

What is the Messiah, and how did it get so famous? Lindsey Adams joined the Morning Shift to shed light on this mystery. She’s a mezzo-soprano soloist who’s sung in countless Messiah performances, and she’s also a music teacher at Mary, Seat of Wisdom School in Park Ridge.

GUEST: Lindsey Adams, mezzo-soprano soloist, music teacher