Celebrate 'Thanksgivukkah' With Handel's Rarely Performed 'Judas Maccabaeus'

Composer George Frideric Handel's Messiah is one of the most-beloved classical compositions of the Christmas season, but he also wrote powerful music celebrating the historical events behind the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah.

This year, with Hanukkah starting unusually early on Thanksgiving, you can hear a rare performance of Handel's Judas Maccabaeus by the Pacific Symphony at 3 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 1, at the Segerstrom Center for the Arts in Costa Mesa. Tickets start at $25.

The music is based on the period 170-160 BC when Jerusalem was ruled by a Syrian-Greek government that desecrated the ancient temple and sought to stamp out the Jewish religion. A revolt led by Judas Maccabeus reclaimed the country and the temple.

Handel's oratorio follows the changing mood of the Jewish people as their situation changes from fear and gloom to triumph and jubilation.

You can preview the symphony's program notes online.