Almost exactly 275 years after its premiere, Handel’s immortal “Messiah” is still king of the musical hill, the most beloved oratorio in history.

Just in time for Easter, the Northwest Sacred Music Chorale, 61 voices strong, will present Parts 2 and 3 of the masterwork, commemorating Jesus’s death and resurrection. The singers and four soloists will be complemented by a full orchestra, all under the baton of Stan McDaniel.

And yes, the immortal “Hallelujah Chorus” is included in these concerts.

Three performances are scheduled — March 31 and April 1 at Trinity Lutheran Church in Coeur d’Alene, and on April 8 at Central Lutheran Church in Spokane.

Over the years “Messiah” has come to be known as a Christmas work because of its stories of the birth of Jesus in Part 1.

Its first performance, however, was in a Dublin music hall at Eastertime in 1742, not Christmas. When he wrote “Messiah” in the space of just a few weeks the summer before, Handel already had a reputation as a leading theatrical and opera composer. But church authorities had banned such productions during Lent, so Handel took the opportunity to keep his musicians and production crew at work.

That first performance in April 1742 was well-attended; so much so, that promoters hoping to squeeze in as many people as possible, asked women to forego hoops in their skirts, and men to leave their swords at home.

“The thematic content is a work crying out for performance in preparation for Easter,” McDaniel said.

Of Handel’s 15 oratorios which he wrote in the 20 years before his death, “Messiah” is the one with which his name is inextricably tied.

“We are truly excited,” McDaniel said, “to be able to bring this powerful music to our audiences at the very time of year the composer intended for it to be heard.”

Soloists for the three area concerts are soprano Amy R. Porter, mezzo soprano Amanda Rood, tenor Charles Sorensson and bass-baritone Joshua Vander Plaats.

Porter, who teaches at Whitworth and Gonzaga universities, specializes in pre-classical repertoire, including the music of Handel.

Rood is a third-year performance major at Gonzaga, and widely regarded as one of the finest mezzo sopranos in the region.

Sorensson, a lyric tenor, has studied internationally, and most recently, with Aaron St. Clair Nicholson, a noted Metropolitan Opera baritone. Sorensson is also a board member of the Northwest Sacred Music Chorale.

Joshua Vander Plaats is a University of Idaho graduate. He and Rood are choral scholars for Saint John’s Cathedral in Spokane.

For more information about the chorale, visit www.nwsmc.org.