It's Early but I Don't Care

[captmojo]

This was presented to me this morning and I must share.
http://www.operaphila.org/backend/News/ ... wone&id=85
I only wish I'd heard about it sooner.

[CameronBornAndBred]

I pretty much hate opera, but that's cool.

[CathyCA]

I pretty much hate opera, but that's cool.

It's not opera. It's an oratorio--it's not staged or costumed, and there are no characters played by the soloists. This is the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah.

I liked the way the singers didn't begin rushing the tempo at "and he shall reign for ever and ever" at the 2:27 mark. Choruses (I'm looking at the tenors) tend to rush the piece at this point.

I dearly love this work, but I am beyond happy that I am not in rehearsals for it this year.

Thanks for posting this, CaptMojo!

[lawgrad91]

Way cool, Capt.

Hey, does anyone else go to the Chapel when MESSIAH is performed there? We didn't get to go last year, but I've been a bunch of times and B has been twice.

[DukeUsul]

Never understood why the Hallelujah chorus is performed standalone around Christmas. It's more of an Easter piece. We should be hearing more "For unto us a child is born." But not yet. Not until December. Poor poor Thanksgiving.

[CathyCA]

Way cool, Capt.

Hey, does anyone else go to the Chapel when MESSIAH is performed there? We didn't get to go last year, but I've been a bunch of times and B has been twice.

I wish I'd only had to go for performances. Rehearsal after rehearsal after rehearsal. . .

[CathyCA]

Never understood why the Hallelujah chorus is performed standalone around Christmas. It's more of an Easter piece. We should be hearing more "For unto us a child is born." But not yet. Not until December. Poor poor Thanksgiving.

I don't understand that either, but I'm happy to sing it whenever I get the chance.

There were alternate lyrics which circulated around the Chapel Choir for years to the tune of "For unto us a child is born." They were Thanksgiving themed: "We want a Turkey for Thanksgiving. . . " Every so often, someone would pass out the lyric sheets and we would sing the Thanksgiving lyrics at rehearsal. I'll bet ILoveJimmy remembers them.

[windsor]

I loved singing it back in the day when I was a first soprano (my pet peeve is screeching on the "and HE shall reign forever and ever" and a big sucking sound when the entire soprano section tries to get air for the last "king of king and lord of lords") If you can't hit the notes don't sing the note. It only takes a couple of people who can hit it clean to carry the piece. Once upon a time I could do it....but I couldn't hit those notes now on a dare!

I found this....breaks down the parts in the Hallelujah chorus:

http://www.rehearsalarts.com/hear_samples.htm

Kind of cool to listen to.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Hey Windsor. Long time no see! You still smoke free?

[windsor]

Hey Windsor. Long time no see! You still smoke free?

I am indeed Ozzie. I tend to lurk these days.

[DukeUsul]

I pretty much hate opera, but that's cool.

It's not opera. It's an oratorio--it's not staged or costumed, and there are no characters played by the soloists. This is the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah.

I liked the way the singers didn't begin rushing the tempo at "and he shall reign for ever and ever" at the 2:27 mark. Choruses (I'm looking at the tenors) tend to rush the piece at this point.

I dearly love this work, but I am beyond happy that I am not in rehearsals for it this year.

Thanks for posting this, CaptMojo!

As a (barely) tenor and the only one from my old church choir who could even come close to the high notes (high A or so I think?) in the "and he shall reign..." I'll apologize. It's hard.

[bjornolf]

We had about a hundred voice choir in my old church, and we did the entire Messiah every year before midnight mass. It was so cool to be a part of that. I just haven't had time since we had the kids, since the church is over an hour away from where we live now.

[CathyCA]

I pretty much hate opera, but that's cool.

It's not opera. It's an oratorio--it's not staged or costumed, and there are no characters played by the soloists. This is the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah.

I liked the way the singers didn't begin rushing the tempo at "and he shall reign for ever and ever" at the 2:27 mark. Choruses (I'm looking at the tenors) tend to rush the piece at this point.

I dearly love this work, but I am beyond happy that I am not in rehearsals for it this year.

Thanks for posting this, CaptMojo!

As a (barely) tenor and the only one from my old church choir who could even come close to the high notes (high A or so I think?) in the "and he shall reign..." I'll apologize. It's hard.

You're right. It's an A. And you're probably rushing it because you're so thankful to be past it.

http://www.sju.edu/~rhall/concertina/Ha ... 0Tenor.pdf

[CathyCA]

We had about a hundred voice choir in my old church, and we did the entire Messiah every year before midnight mass. It was so cool to be a part of that. I just haven't had time since we had the kids, since the church is over an hour away from where we live now.

Your kids will grow older and you'll have the time to rejoin the choir.

[windsor]

I pretty much hate opera, but that's cool.

It's not opera. It's an oratorio--it's not staged or costumed, and there are no characters played by the soloists. This is the Hallelujah chorus from Handel's Messiah.

I liked the way the singers didn't begin rushing the tempo at "and he shall reign for ever and ever" at the 2:27 mark. Choruses (I'm looking at the tenors) tend to rush the piece at this point.

I dearly love this work, but I am beyond happy that I am not in rehearsals for it this year.

Thanks for posting this, CaptMojo!

As a (barely) tenor and the only one from my old church choir who could even come close to the high notes (high A or so I think?) in the "and he shall reign..." I'll apologize. It's hard.

For the sopranos its A above High C if I recall...would have to look at the music but is up at the top of an average sopranos range. When I was singing all the time (and was much younger) I could hit it. If I tried now it sound like small animals were being abused.

[OZZIE4DUKE]

Hey Windsor. Long time no see! You still smoke free?

I am indeed Ozzie. I tend to lurk these days.

Woo Hoo! You go girl! Good for you!

You are now officially a nonsmoker!

[CathyCA]

For the sopranos its A above High C if I recall...would have to look at the music but is up at the top of an average sopranos range. When I was singing all the time (and was much younger) I could hit it. If I tried now it sound like small animals were being abused.

Yes, it is a high A. Most sopranos can't reach it and should do the Milli Vanilli thing and allow the sopranos who can hit the note to sing it.

I know it's an A. First, it matches the tenor A which I posted above. Second, I have perfect pitch and I can "hear" that it's an A. Third, I the A is out of my range. I can hit the G#, but not the A.

[windsor]

For the sopranos its A above High C if I recall...would have to look at the music but is up at the top of an average sopranos range. When I was singing all the time (and was much younger) I could hit it. If I tried now it sound like small animals were being abused.

Yes, it is a high A. Most sopranos can't reach it and should do the Milli Vanilli thing and allow the sopranos who can hit the note to sing it.

I know it's an A. First, it matches the tenor A which I posted above. Second, I have perfect pitch and I can "hear" that it's an A. Third, I the A is out of my range. I can hit the G#, but not the A.

I didn't realize it matched the Tenor A....given the evidence above, I won't look up the sheet music and take it as fact that it is A.

[bjornolf]

When I was in fifth grade, I sang in my school choir. It was an all boys choir. I got a solo because I was the only boy in the group that could hit high G. I could NOT hit high A. But DAMN could I nail that high G!

[lawgrad91]

I loved singing it back in the day when I was a first soprano (my pet peeve is screeching on the "and HE shall reign forever and ever" and a big sucking sound when the entire soprano section tries to get air for the last "king of king and lord of lords") If you can't hit the notes don't sing the note. It only takes a couple of people who can hit it clean to carry the piece. Once upon a time I could do it....but I couldn't hit those notes now on a dare!

I found this....breaks down the parts in the Hallelujah chorus:

http://www.rehearsalarts.com/hear_samples.htm

Kind of cool to listen to.

Thanks for posting this, windsor (welcome back ). In the bad old days of college I could hit the A above middle C, but now I'm an alto. My break occurs in the middle of most of the typical soprano notes, and as a soloist, I'm a crooner, anyway (I sing a mean lullaby!) I've been trying to learn the alto to at least the Hallelujah Chorus, so I could sing along in the car.

I love Handel's Messiah. I have it on my ITouch and will listen to it any time of year. As was already mentioned here, a lot of it is Easter music anyway.