Watch StreamingCommunity. Sir Colin Davis conducts the London Symphony Orchestra and Chorus in this rendition of George Frideric Handel's Messiah. Handel’s Messiah was composed in 1742 with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens. It tells the story of the life of Jesus Christ in three sections, from his birth to his death and eventual resurrection. Messiah has become one of the most recognized, appreciated and exhibited choral works during the Easter period.