Composer

Laurence Cummings and Academy of Ancient Music perform Handel’s Messiah – a Christmas tradition we’ve made our own.

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Handel's Messiah

Barbican Centre

Sing hallelujah! Handel’s Messiah isn’t just a seasonal fixture. It’s one of those pieces that transcends time, place and culture; singing of humanity – and hope – ever since the mid-18th century. Ev’ry Valley, For Unto Us a Child is Born, I Know that My Redeemer Liveth… you already know the tunes. With Laurence Cummings directing AAM, they’ll sound as if the ink has hardly dried.

Veterans Memorial Auditorium

Ring in the holidays with Bay Phil’s most joyful, spectacular celebration of the year.! Get swept up in all the magic of the season with family and holiday favorites, led by our Guest Conductor Alexander Kahn.

The Bay Area’s Best: Sounds of the Season!

Chabot College

Since 2010, chamber music ensembles of the Staatskapelle have been performing at the Bode Museum, a jewel of Berlin's museum landscape. Matinee concerts lasting just over an hour in the Gobelin Hall, with diverse programs that include music from the Baroque and Classical periods as well as works from the Romantic and Modern periods, can easily lead into further hours in the museum—for example, with a guided tour of the exhibition and the "Artwork of the Day," a private tour, or a culinary finale in the stylish museum café.

Museum Concert III

UNESCO Weltkulturerbe Museumsinsel

Whether you’re a seasoned singer or just love the spirit of the season, this interactive concert invites everyone to raise their voices together. You bring the voice—we’ll bring the music! Let the warmth of shared song and holiday cheer fill the air in this fun, festive celebration.

Messiah Sing-Along & Carols

Indiana Landmarks

Audiences declared last season’s sold-out performance of Home for the Holidays was the best holiday concert they have attended. We are delighted to continue this celebration of musical artistry and community spirit. This year’s program will include classic holiday tunes and selections from Handel’s joyous The Messiah. Joining the orchestra will be The Florida Philharmonic Chorus under the direction of Dr. William Dederer and Gulfshore Opera’s Harmony Choir in partnership with Charlotte County Children’s Theatre. Gather your family and friends and come share Home for the Holidays with The Florida Philharmonic. This concert is sponsored by a generous gift from Catherine Reiche.

Home for the Holidays

Burnt Store Presbyterian Church

David Castleberry, guest Conductor
with the WV Symphony Chorus.

Messiah

Clay Center

Well this is becoming a very welcome habit! Fresh from his appearance back in October, Kristian Bezuidenhout returns to Gateshead, this time conducting Royal Northern Sinfonia.

The Glasshouse International Centre for Music

Experience an evening of orchestral brilliance with a program that spans centuries of musical innovation. The concert opens with George Frideric Handel’s Water Music Suite No. 1, a regal masterpiece brimming with baroque elegance. Contemporary composer Cheryl Frances-Hoad’s Quark Dances—a dynamic and imaginative work that fuses science and sound—adds a bold, modern voice to the evening. Finally, the program culminates with Benjamin Britten’s Les Illuminations, a luminous and evocative song cycle that brings Rimbaud’s vivid poetry to life through Britten’s expressive, shimmering orchestration. Don’t miss this captivating journey through time and tone.

Radiance

Town Hall Seattle

From the exquisite ‘Comfort Ye’ to the majestic ‘Hallelujah Chorus’, Handel’s Messiah never fails to inspire.

Arts Centre Melbourne

Sounds of the Holidays 2025

Louis G. Kaufman Auditorium

With an all-Saskatchewan line of soloists and the SSO Chorus, we continue our favourite tradition where you get to join in the chorus.

Sing-Along Messiah

Knox United Church

City of London Sinfonia returns to Salisbury Cathedral to perform Handel’s Messiah with the full Cathedral Choir under the baton of David Halls.

The Messiah

Salisbury Cathedral

Celebrate the holidays with the Longmont Symphony’s ever-popular Candlelight Concert, an annual tradition. This year features the orchestra, Longmont Chorale, and vocal soloists in the moving and joyous Handel’s Messiah.

Candlelight: Handel’s Messiah

Skyline High School

One of the best or oratorios ever written, the glorious experience of hearing Handel’s Messiah never fails to create impact. Performed by the Orchestra, guest soloists and Belfast Philharmonic Choir, if you haven’t yet included it in your festive programme, then now is the time.

Ulster Orchestra: Handel's Messiah

Waterfront Hall

A cherished holiday tradition returns as the Indianapolis Chamber Orchestra presents a heartwarming evening of festive favorites and timeless classics. Enjoy the splendor of the season with the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah, a beloved masterpiece that continues to inspire with its stirring choruses and radiant solos.

A Classical Christmas Echoes of the Nativity

The beloved tradition returns! Handel’s Messiah beautifully unfolds in Yannick’s interpretation, with “all the fanfare and glorious music” made even more affecting by “a notably warm and dear sound that was remarkably tender” (Philadelphia magazine). Subscribers have access to the best seats!

Kimmel Center for the Performing Arts

Handel’s Messiah draws us in time and time again. The storytelling and uplifting messages are captivating, and the intimate arias juxtaposed with exuberant choruses are irresistible. But maybe it is the grandeur of the oratorio that impresses most. Discover which of these strikes a chord as Nicholas McGegan, one of the world’s foremost experts on Handel’s music, conducts the SLSO and St. Louis Symphony Chorus in this beloved holiday tradition.

Handel’s Messiah

Powell Hall

Embrace the magic of the season at our most popular concert of the year! The Holiday Spectacular returns for its fifth year, featuring the warm, expressive voice of tenor Terrence Chin-Loy and a heartwarming program of holiday favorites.

Holiday Spectacular

Willson Auditorium

GF Handel: Messiah with Mogens Dahl Chamber Choir

Church of Holmen

Igen i år byder Mogens Dahl Kammerkor på udsøgte opførelser af Händels tilsyneladende uopslidelige klassiker ”Messias” i samarbejde med det fremragende engelske Orchestra of the Age of Enlightenment og internationale solister.

G.F. Händel Messias

Join JoAnn Falletta on a captivating journey through centuries of seasonal music highlighted by soprano Sirgourney Cook performing “O Holy Night,” John Jacob Niles’ “I Wonder as I Wander” and Handel’s “Let the Bright Seraphim” from Samson. Perfect for the whole family, this performance promises a warm, illuminating feast celebrating winter’s spirit and charm.

JoAnn’s Classical Christmas

Kleinhans Music Hall

Rejoice! Handel's treasured sacred work, which has long been a beloved holiday staple, returns to the Winspear stage. This classic Christmas tradition, composed in 1741, will put you in the holiday mood with its splendid arias, powerful recitatives, and glorious choral sections, including the famous "Hallelujah" chorus. Featuring the Richard Eaton Singers.

Winspear Centre

Karl Hirzer’s fall residency with the SSO wraps up as he returns for Handel’s Messiah.

Let the powerful voices and exquisite orchestration transport you through the stirring arias and majestic choruses of one of the most beloved works in the classical repertoire.

Southbank Centre

“Hallelujah!” The Tallahassee tradition returns to the sanctuary of Trinity United Methodist Church. Few musical works are familiar to as many, and Messiah remains Handel’s best-known piece. There is no better time of year to enjoy this beautiful, sacred oratorio that has long been associated with good will and charity.

Trinity United Methodist Church in Tallahassee

Experience the world’s most famous oratorio this December! Guest conductor Tyson Deaton leads the Phoenix Symphony & Chorus in this thrilling and inspiring performance. Enjoy beloved arias like “I Know That My Redeemer Liveth” and iconic choruses, including the powerful “Hallelujah” chorus!

Mesa Arts Center

Camelback Bible Church

Pinnacle Presbyterian Church

Featuring a stellar cast of vocal soloists, American Bach’s celebrated holiday tradition of performing Handel’s Messiah in San Francisco’s historic Grace Cathedral perennially provides a treasured December holiday event to capacity audiences. American Bach’s performances of Handel’s timeless work have become an essential part of the musical year for many music lovers and have attracted audiences of more than 50,000 from around the world.

Handel's Messiah in Grace Cathedral

Grace Cathedral

Celebrate the spirit of the season with Messiah by Candlelight, featuring the GLCO Chorus and guest soloists.

Messiah by Candlelight

Great Lakes Center for the Arts

Mendelssohn's charming double concerto with the superb Ezra Duo, an expressive Canadian tribute to Caribbean history and a bouquet of Christmas favourites

Baroque and Beyond

Trinity-St. Paul's United Church and Centre for Faith, Justice and the Arts

Join us for the St James’s Piccadilly spectacular annual fundraising Christmas Gala featuring the St James’s Chamber Orchestra and BBC’s Sophie Raworth.

Christmas for All: Gala Concert

St James's Piccadilly

‘I did think I did see all Heaven before me,’ wrote its composer as he finished a musical reflection on faith that still brings audiences to their feet nearly three centuries after it was written. Handel’s oratorio Messiah changed the landscape of vocal music in Britain and has provided a soundtrack to the festive period for the nearly three centuries since. Join Marios Papadopoulos, a first-rate quartet of soloists and the Oxford Philharmonic Orchestra and Choir for a Yuletide rendition of this rousing celebration of celestial joy and human togetherness.

Handel Messiah

University of Oxford

Celebrate the season with Handel’s Messiah like you’ve never heard it before! Sir Eugene Goossens’ grand orchestration brings new depth and richness to this beloved masterpiece, enhancing its drama and power. From the soaring “Hallelujah” Chorus to the moving arias and choruses, this performance is a breathtaking holiday tradition. Experience the majesty, the emotion, and the triumph of Messiah in a way that will leave you uplifted and inspired!

Hult Center for the Performing Arts

Iveta Apkalna and Katrīna Paula Felsberga

Marienkirche, Neubrandenburg

Join your BRSO for a special one night event of Handel’s famous oratorio, Messiah. Be enveloped by the glorious acoustics of St. Joseph Cathedral as you experience the Hallelujah Chorus, and other favorites, performed like never before by members of the Baton Rouge Symphony Chorus in this cherished holiday experience.

St. Joseph Cathedral in Baton Rouge

The oratorio is about the entire life of the Messiah. About the expectation of his coming, about his presence on Earth – the story of his suffering – about his death and his salvation of mankind.

Aalborg Central Waterfront

Following a triumphant debut with the Monteverdi Choir in December 2024, celebrated French baroque specialist Christophe Rousset brings his dramatic flair to Handel’s thrilling oratorio this Christmas.

The Monteverdi Choir and English Baroque Soloists have been performing historically-informed Handel for almost 50 years, and are “unbeatable in the performance of this repertoire” (Scherzo). A stellar cast of soloists will join “the best choir in the world” (Trouw), bringing MCO’s trademark immediacy and drama to Handel’s festive masterpiece for the first time in over three decades.

Handel: Messiah

Église Saint-Roch

St Martin-in-the-Fields

Teatro alla Scala

Auditorium Parco della Musica

St Martin-in-the-Fields Church, London

La Scala Theatre

Saint-Roch Church, Paris

Join us for a favorite holiday tradition! Handel’s setting of Biblical texts reaches operatic heights and is full of iconic melodies. A stellar cast of soloists and the chorus of Music of the Baroque are conducted by Jane Glover, whose previous Messiah with the NY Phil was lauded as "superb” (The New York Times).

David Geffen Hall

In this concert, Handel’s masterful storytelling brings the narrative of Christ to vivid musical life. The powerful chorus elevates this iconic work with extraordinary energy and depth. This is a unique chance to experience one of Handel’s greatest masterpieces under the baton of Rafael Payare—a holiday classic not to be missed!

The Messiah: Hallelujah!

Place des Arts

Celebrate the season with the glad musical tidings of the Champaign-Urbana Symphony Orchestra’s beloved holiday concert, a favorite family event for music lovers of all ages. CUSO is joined by the University of Illinois Chamber Singers and Oratorio Society to perform Gloria of Francis Poulenc, a spectacular work for large chorus and full orchestra. The angelic voices of the Central Illinois Youth Chorus will be featured in music by John Williams from the film Home Alone. Uplifting songs of the season, a visit from Santa, and a sing-along of carols are sure to make spirits bright.

Good Tidings!

Krannert Center for the Performing Arts

Composed in a staggering twenty-four days Messiah was first performed in Dublin in 1742 where it received a rapturous welcome. Not so the following year when it premiered in London to a distinctly hostile reception. It wasn’t until Messiah began to be presented in charity performances at the Foundling Hospital in London that the public started to embrace the work we now regard as Handel’s greatest composition.

Auditorio de Tenerife Adán Martín

Experience Nashville’s grandest Messiah, brought to life by the powerful Nashville Symphony and Chorus, joined by four extraordinary soloists. Celebrate the season with the resounding "Hallelujah" Chorus and the passion, drama, and breathtaking beauty of this timeless masterpiece.

Handel’s Messiah with the Nashville Symphony Chorus

Shermerhorn Symphony Center

Experience unforgettable performances by your Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra, featuring timeless masterpieces, thrilling premieres, and renowned guest artists.

Heinz Hall for the Performing Arts

The UVA Department of Music presents the 58th annual Messiah Sing-In on Tuesday, December 9th at 8:00 pm in Old Cabell Hall! The Sing-In is conducted by Michael Slon, UVA’s Director of Choral Music, and benefits the University's choral ensembles.

Messiah Sing-In 2025 - 58th Annual

University of Virginia

Messiah Sing-along

Placer High School Theater

If your Christmas plans aren’t complete until you’ve got a performance of Handel’s Messiah in the diary then look no further than critically-acclaimed opera company Wild Arts (★★★★★ Opera Now, ★★★★ The Guardian) for this year’s festive fix.

Smith Square Hall

The harp is often associated with heavenly sounds, which is naturally a wonderful fit for Christmas. However, the concert with world-renowned musician Xavier de Maistre demonstrates that the instrument offers a far greater wealth of expressive possibilities. De Maistre has long since made a name for himself as a musician who expands the boundaries and repertoire of his instrument with virtuosity and a willingness to experiment. When in doubt, he pragmatically takes to pen and paper and arranges existing works for the harp. In his current Advent program, however, this was almost unnecessary: ​​in concerts by Handel and Boieldieu, the charismatic Frenchman showcases the immense – and unexpected – sound spectrum of his instrument: from delicately shimmering melodies to rich chords and thundering basses. The Festival Strings Lucerne is contributing a true Romantic classic with Tchaikovsky's String Serenade.

Xavier de Maistre / Lucerne Strings Festival

Elbphilharmonie Hamburg

The Southland Symphony Orchestra and Chorus,with outstanding vocal soloists, presents our Annual "Messiah" Performance on Sunday, December 7th at 4pm, under the baton of Music Director and Conductor Sylvia Lee Mann. This is our popular annual presentation! Come hear these fabulous singers, soloists, and orchestra as they join us for MESSIAH! If you want to join the chorus - message us.

Southland Symphony Orchestra Annual "Messiah"

Bethel Congregational Church Sanctuary

Handel’s Messiah stands as one of the most iconic and enduring masterpieces in the classical music repertoire. Since its premiere in 1742, it has captivated audiences around the world with its profound spiritual message, masterful orchestration, and compelling blend of solo and choral writing.

Famed for its dazzling arias and rousing choruses, Messiah offers an unforgettable musical journey through themes of prophecy, birth, passion, resurrection, and redemption.

Cadogan Hall 

Looking for a holiday celebration that showcases the remarkable artistry of two of Calgary’s finest musicians? Civic has a gift for you!

Baroque & Beyond

Arts Commons

A timeless masterwork that transcends three centuries, Handel’s Messiah is an event of joy, reflection and renewal. Thrill to the blazing trumpets, thundering timpani, and the electrifying, uplifting “Hallelujah” chorus!

Handel's Glorious Messiah

Segerstrom Center for the Arts

The St. Olai Vocal Ensemble and Chamber Orchestra, for the 11th year in a row, will perform Handel's Messiah in the Cathedral, together with 4 star soloists. Messiah is a dramatic story in three parts about the salvation story on which Christianity is based. Jubilant choral movements and arias sing about the newborn child, and the Savior's suffering is illustrated by string attacks sharp as whiplashes. The victory of good is celebrated at the end of the 2nd part through the famous "Hallelujah chorus". The 3rd part concludes the work with the "trumpet aria" and monumental choral movements. This year's soloists are Cassandra Lemoine, soprano, Stephen Yeseta, countertenor, David Danholt, tenor, Albin Ahl, bass.

Messiah concert

Saint Olai Church

The Baroque era opened the door for the violin to emerge as a defining voice in music. This program features an all-star cast of CMS violinists performing thrilling solo roles in Baroque concertos, including Vivaldi’s The Four Seasons, one of the earliest examples of program music. Linked to sonnets possibly written by Vivaldi himself, the works depict the seasons through musical suggestions of babbling brooks, thunder and lightning, blasts of winter wind, and birdsong.

Vivaldi's Four Seasons

Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts

It’s the most wonderful time of year when SFSO delivers its annual holiday tradition, Handel’s Messiah (Part 1, the Christmas portion plus the glorious “Hallelujah” chorus.) Adding to the magic of the season are a selections of Holiday Pops featuring uplifting songs of spirit and hope, including Josh Groban’s You Raise Me Up, Andrea Bocelli’s Because We Believe, and Bocelli and Sarah Brightman’s beloved duet Con Te Partirò, performed by dazzling guest vocalists and the South Florida Symphony Chorus.

Handel’s Messiah & Holiday Pops

The Parker

Barry University

Composed in 1741, Handel’s timeless masterpiece has enraptured audiences for centuries with its sublime beauty and profound spirituality. From the jubilant “Hallelujah” chorus to its stirring arias and evocative chorales, Messiah is a celebration of the season’s true meaning: comfort, hope, and the promise of joy. Led by conductor Scott Hanoian and brought to life each year by friends and colleagues throughout the community who perform with the Ann Arbor Symphony Orchestra and the UMS Choral Union, this musical tradition continues to shine brightly — in fact, many attendees consider it the official start to the holiday season.

University of Michigan

Handel’s Messiah is the undisputed favorite of the holiday season, featuring the Syracuse University Oratorio Society and spectacular soloists at beautiful Most Holy Rosary Church.

Church of the Most Holy Rosary

Jeannette Sorrell’s approach to Handel’s Messiah has been universally praised for its refreshingly unique interpretation. In this concert, we’ll explore its dramatic potential to full effect – after all, an oratorio is effectively an opera, just without the staging and costumes – and Sorrell takes the view that a more theatrical production is precisely what Handel intended.

The Bridgewater Hall

The annual performance of Messiah at the Royal Concert Hall has become an unmissable fixture in the Christmas calendar.

Nottingham Harmonic Choir – Messiah

Royal Concert Hall Nottingham

Grammy winner Jeannette Sorrell is joined by some of the country’s finest opera stars and the Hallé Choir for an innovative and theatrical production of Handel’s classic that has been universally praised for its refreshingly unique interpretation. In this concert, we’ll explore its dramatic potential to full effect – after all, an oratorio is effectively an opera, just without the staging and costumes – and Sorrell takes the view that a more theatrical production is precisely what Handel intended. Messiah is 284 years old this year and has been performed countless times in that period (the Hallé alone have performed it almost every year – sometimes more than once – since 1859). Tonight’s concert provides a strikingly original take on this much-loved work.

The Hallé – Messiah

Handel’s Messiah, featuring UI Choirs and Symphony Orchestra

University of Iowa

Maestro Pirard takes the podium to lead the CCO and the Cayuga Vocal Ensemble in a stirring performance of Handel's timeless masterpiece, joined by acclaimed soloists Rachel Schutz, Brenda Iglesias, Noah Unser, and Marc Webster. Celebrate the season with this cherished holiday tradition.

Ithaca College

Holiday Brass: Bloomfield Hills

Kirk in the Hills

St Matthew's & St Joseph's Episcopal Church

Our annual tradition of celebration of this timeless classic! Featuring Boston Baroque favorites soprano Amanda Forsythe, mezzo-soprano Paula Murrihy, tenor Thomas Cooley, and Baritone Roderick Williams.

New England Conservatory

A holiday tradition that transcends time. From the soaring Hallelujah Chorus to the poignant He Was Despised, Handel’s Messiah continues to inspire with its message od hope, renewal, and grace.

Colonial Woods Missionary Church

Imperial Theatre

Experience the powerful and reimagined tradition of Messiah like never before! Handel’s timeless masterpiece comes to life in the breathtaking acoustics of Helzberg Hall, performed by your Kansas City Symphony and Symphony Chorus alongside dynamic guest vocalists. Whether you’re a lifelong fan or discovering Messiah for the first time, this exhilarating performance — featuring nearly 150 musicians — promises to uplift, inspire and unite audiences of all backgrounds. Don’t miss this unforgettable celebration of music, spirit and community that reminds us that we are all part of something greater — a shared human story told through the universal language of music.

Kauffman Center for the Performing Arts

Celebrate the season with Handel’s classic oratorio, Messiah, featuring the world-famous Hallelujah Chorus. Get your tickets early, these performances have sold out three years in a row!

Collegedale Seventh-day Adventist Church

First Presbyterian Church of Chattanooga

Handel’s great oratorio Messiah springs to life by way of the fruitful collaboration of Charles Jennens’ carefully conceived libretto and Handel’s supreme skill as a composer of the theatre. BCSD’s performance of Messiah, delivered by a dynamic cast in the manner of Handel’s dramatic operas, has become one of its crown jewels.

G.f. Handel: Messiah Hwv 232

St. Matthew's Parish School

First United Methodist Church of San Diego

The Conrad Prebys Performing Arts Center

Originally intended for a single performance, Mozart's arrangement of Handel's "Messiah" has earned a special place in the concert repertoire. The German texts and Mozart's subtle adaptations to the instrumental customs of his time cast the most famous of all oratorios in an unusual light.

Handel/Mozart: Messiah

Monastery Church of the Assumption of Mary, Aldersbach

Blaibach Concert Hall

The trumpet shall sound. Join the CSO, the May Festival Chorus and an all-star cast of soloists for Handel’s Messiah. Music Director Cristian Mӑcelaru conducts one of his most cherished works, featuring joyful movements like the famous Hallelujah Chorus that have become forever and ever holiday traditions. This is the Messiah experience of the season!

Cincinnati Music Hall

George Frideric Handel’s Messiah was an instant classic soon after its 1742 premiere and has been a holiday tradition around the world ever since. Through a dramatic series of arias, recitatives, and choruses, Handel offers a musical meditation on Christ’s birth, life, and resurrection—and his message of redemption. Jane Glover leads the SF Symphony and Chorus in this perennial favorite.

Davies Symphony Hall

Step into the grandeur of the season with George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, performed in the breathtaking acoustics of the Basilica of St. John the Baptist on December 5 & 6, 2025 at 8:00pm. Under the baton of conductor Christopher Gaudreault, the Newfoundland Symphony Orchestra and the Philharmonic Choir of the NSO present this timeless holiday tradition, brimming with passion, power, and Hallelujahs.

Basilica of St. John the Baptist

Martin Marietta Center for the Performing Arts

The Music Guild is pleased to offer a special treat for this season’s holiday concert, welcoming the Bach Collegium San Diego to Los Angeles for a complete performance of Handel’s “Messiah.” Led by artistic director Ruben Valenzuela, the Bach Collegium San Diego is known for their historically informed performances in concerts that have thrilled national and international audiences. You won’t want to miss this performance by an ensemble lauded as “a cultural treasure.” (San Diego Union-Tribune)

Bach Collegium San Diego presents Handel’s “Messiah”

St. Matthew's Music Guild

The Louisiana Philharmonic Orchestra rings in the holiday season with stunning selections from Handel’s Messiah and beloved classical Christmas music. Experience the power and beauty of this timeless masterpiece, featuring the iconic "Hallelujah" chorus, performed by the region’s finest musicians. A cherished holiday tradition, this concert is the perfect way to celebrate the season with the splendor of orchestral and choral music.

Classical Christmas: Messiah

Orpheum Theater

Hallelujah! For one night only, experience the power of Handel’s sacred oratorio in this concert from the acclaimed opera house.

Composer

George Frideric Handel

Events

Upcoming events

Oct 2, 2024 - Apr 14, 2026

Chamber Music for Winds · The Shepherd School of Music

9 - 21 Dec, 2025

Handel’s Messiah with the Nashville Symphony Chorus · Nashville Symphony

9 - 22 Dec, 2025

Handel’s Messiah · The Sixteen

10 - 16 Dec, 2025

Messiah · Les Talens Lyriques

10 - 16 Dec, 2025

Handel: Messiah · English Baroque Soloists

Past events

Dec 15, 2025

Handel's Messiah · Academy of Ancient Music

Dec 15, 2025

Handel's Messiah · Barbican Centre

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