A PROFESSIONAL opera company will perform for the first time in Reading

next week.

Merry Opera Company will bring its staged version of Handel’s Messiah to Wycliffe Baptist Church, in King’s Road, at 7pm on Saturday, April 19.

The performance tells the tale of 12 strangers who seek spiritual comfort in their struggle to understand the world and inspire one another to look to the future with hope through their love of singing.

Director John Ramster said: “As the characters progress through the piece, the audience will see them transform and blossom.

“For centuries, Handel’s Messiah has brought strangers together and, through the singing of this unparalleled masterpiece, they have become as one. The performance in Reading is no exception.”

Kent-based Merry Opera Company was formed in 2007 and has produced 10 operas.

Tickets – priced at £15 for adults, £13 for concessions and £7.50 for balcony seats – are available by calling the box office on 0118 929 9919 or visiting www.wycliffe-church.org.uk