IF you can’t make it to Huddersfield Choral Society’s Messiah or its Christmas concert, you’ll be able to catch up on TV and radio.

The society’s Jim Cowell tells the Examiner there’s much interest from the broadcast media in this year’s productions.

“The South Bank Show has been filming several Messiah rehearsals and interviewing choir members for a programme to be broadcast around Easter next year and will also be filming one of the Messiah performances,” he said.

“Last Friday a producer and presenter from BBC Radio 4 recorded part of the Messiah rehearsal and interviewed former singing members Ken Rothery, Harold Clough and me for a programme going out in early January.

“And the Christmas concert is being recorded by BBC Radio 2.”

The Christmas concert, incidentally, is next Friday at Huddersfield Town Hall and is sold out.

Once again it is being conducted by Brian Kay, with Brighouse and Rastrick Band and Darius Battiwalla at the organ. Martene Grimson is the soprano soloist.

The concert is being recorded for broadcast over the Christmas period by BBC Radio 2 with Christopher Timothy (of All Creatures Great & Small) is presenting the programme for radio.

The first Messiah, for subscribers, is on Tuesday, December 16 in the Town Hall.

Jane Glover returns to conduct with the Northern Sinfonia and soloists Lucy Crowe (soprano), Catherine Wyn-Rogers (mezzo), Adrian Thompson (tenor) and Neal Davies (bass). Simon Lindley is the organist.

There are a very few gallery and second area seats still available for this performance – contact Peter Sunderland on 07792 591 119. The public Messiah on Wednesday, December 17 is a sell-out.