Handel’s Messiah was one of the very first Baroque works that I ever was privileged to perform back in my early days as a singer with the late George Shangrow and Seattle Chamber Singers, what feels like 100 years ago. Suffice it to say the tempos we take in Belle Voci are surprisingly brisk in comparison! The texts are glorious and actually mostly from the Old Testament, perhaps a little known fact. My favorite aria has to be “I Know that My Redeemer Liveth” (er, Redeemer, in singer’s abbreviation!), in part because the melody is sumptuous and stately and lends itself to glorious ad lib ornamentation. Also, because how often do you get to sing the word “liveth?” Almost never. As for text, my favorite has to be “How Beautiful are the Feet of Them” in part because we are singing about feet. Actually the melody is pretty fantastic, too. Ya, I know it’s in the Easter portion… But this reminds me of Maundy Thursday and participating in the foot washing ritual at St. Paul’s Episcopal in Seattle. And how amazing is the idea of a saviour washing the feet of their disciples as an act of service.

As for word painting… Oh We Like Sheep, Have Gone Astray, ay -ay -ay –ay-ay-ay -ayay! Seriously, Handel. Hilarious! Reverent and irreverent at the same time.

Check out the CBC link for more Messiah factoids!

Come see us in December! Many locations and dates! See link for details and tickets! chilliwacksymphony.com