January 24, 2021 by Erika Beatty

With its daring film version of Handel’s Messiah, a small Canadian theatre company defied the pandemic and thrived

Audience data, Behavioural shifts, Change management, Classical music, Content and Recordings, Coronavirus or COVID-19, Digital strategy, Discoverability, Film, Live / Web Stream, Musicians, Opera, Orchestra, Social media

By Brad Wheeler

”Where most symphony orchestras and opera companies are downsizing and scrapping productions within unfavorable creative conditions and daunting financial circumstances, Against the Grain hit the jackpot with Messiah/Complex. The 80-minute film has drawn more than 100,000 YouTube views, along with cash donations from 28 countries (there is no charge to watch it online).


Hoping to break even with its pandemic pivot, Against the Grain turned a small profit. By any measure, Messiah/Complex (which streams until the end of the month) has been the gutsy company’s most successful production ever – a viral hit, thanks (in part) to the virus.”

Source: The Globe and Mail



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