Trinity Saint Paul’s Episcopal Church hosted the Sound Shore Chorale Christmas Oratorio this evening. Musical Director Richard Slade with accompanist Diane Guernsey led a diverse group of singers and musicians in the popular and famous Messiah by Handel.
This event was free and anyone could participate. There were violinists, flutists, and cellists among the ensemble with empty seats in case any guest brought an instrument. Upon entering you could pick up the thick score to sing along.
Handel’s Messiah is challenging for singers and musicians, and though this group has regular weekly meetings and rehearsals, they did not specifically practice Handel’s Messiah for the event. In fact anyone could volunteer to perform solos or other parts. One brave young woman in a purple sweater volunteered to sing a solo, without having sung it before. She stood at the altar and sang like a beautiful bird. When she struggled with different sections, Director Slade handily picked up the lines and it became an impromptu duet.
Overall the event was lovely, it combined the beauty of the music; the history of the church, parish and music; the high religious holiday of Christmas so close at hand; and the genuine community atmosphere of all types of people, all ages and backgrounds. The sounds of the singing rising out from the people in the pews around you and bouncing off the handsome architecture above and beside you make this event participatory, even if you didn’t sing a note.
Congratulations to Sound Shore Chorale for a wonderful performance, thank you for the open invitation to attend and even participate.
The event brochure says the group is “a membership organization open to those who enjoy singing and are willing to devote one evening a week from September through June. If you are interested in joing the Chroale we encorage you to audition. Rehearsals and auditions are held Monday at 7:30pm in the Presbyterian Church of New Rochelle, 50 Pintard Avenue, New Rochelle. No appointment required. http://www.soundshorechorale.com.
Thanks also, to Trinity St. Paul for hosting!
Trinity St. Paul’s Episcopal Church is Gothic Revival in style and was designed by Richard Upjohn, the architect of Trinity, Wall Street, in New York City. It features enormous pointed wooden doors and intricate stained glass windows. The parish is celebrating their 322th(!) year.
According to the event brochure (and Wikepedia),
“Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed by George Frederic Handel, and is one of the most popular works in the Western choral literature. The libretto by Charles Jennens is drawn entirely from the King James and Great Bibles and interprets the Christian doctrine of the Messiah. This is one of Handel’s most famous works. The Messiah sing-along now common at Christmas usually consists of only the first of the oratorio’s three parts, with Hallelujah. Composed in London during the summer of 1741 and premiered in Dublin, Ireland on 13 April 1742, it was repeatedly revised by Handel, reaching is most familiar version in performance to benefit the Founding Hospital in 1754. In 1789 Mozart orchestrated a German version of the work.”
Here are a few photos from the event.
Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!
