Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing

Subject: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: Mo the caller
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 12:18 PM

I'm nerving myself to going to a singing day. I found a video to practise the alto line, and a wiki page that says which are alto solos.
But I wondered if all the 4 part bits are sung by the chorus, or if some are for the soloists.

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: Mo the caller
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 12:19 PM

If this is in the wrong place, please move it down - I know it's not Folk (but it is music).

---

Hi, Mo - this is the music section, not just folk music. Of course you're welcome here.
-Joe Offer-

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: keberoxu
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 12:38 PM

Messiah Sings are an ongoing tradition, and I am sorry that I know so little about them myself; I have been present for a couple of them over the years.

It was my first-hand experience that the hosting organization, or the music director, or whoever behind the scenes, had already delegated the solo parts to designated soloists, and the chorus had nothing to do therewith. Your Sing experience may be different than mine.

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 12:41 PM

The altos' best bit is "And the glory, the glory of the Lord" - WE get the main bit instead of just harmonising with the rest!

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: Mo the caller
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 12:59 PM

Yes, I realise that the soloists are already booked - but I need to work out what to practise, from the you tube I've found. It would be a waste of (the very short) time to practise a bit if the 4 solists sang it.

I agree about "And the glory, the glory of the Lord". But there's a lot of glorious fugues.

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 01:04 PM

In that case, worth buying or borrowing the choral score, which will clarify all re who sings what, if you are doing it in the usual way. Might get one from your local library especially if they have a music section?

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: Mo the caller
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 04:18 PM

True, and I should get to the library for something else - not all that local though, and not very big, so might need to go into town. Or wait till the first rehearsal and get a score then.
Just wondered if anyone knew.

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: Hrothgar
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 04:25 PM

We sang in a production of "The Messiah" just before Christmas, after a couple of months of rehearsals, and we were given the arrangements with the four parts. It meant that as somebody who doesn't actually read music, I was able to read where the different parts (especially mine - the tenors) came in.

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: GUEST,Bob Schwarer
Date: 30 Dec 16 - 06:29 PM

The libretto showing the parts for the chorus is here:


http://opera.stanford.edu/iu/libretti/messiah.htm

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: Mo the caller
Date: 31 Dec 16 - 04:29 AM

Thanks Bob, that is more detailed than the Wiki list - just what I wanted.

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: Mo the caller
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 05:56 AM

Wow.
All that listening and singing along with youtube paid off.
I went to the rehearsal tonight half expecting to be completely lost but it was (mostly) fine.
And isn't it great to be in the middle of all those parts weaving together.
2 more rehearsals and a performance on Saturday.
Then maybe start mugging up Mozart

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 08:33 AM

Glad it all paid off, Mo! Happy memories of doing it several times over the years, including playing the timpani part! (Big roll on "forever"!)

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: leeneia
Date: 05 Jan 17 - 11:31 AM

Good for you, Mo. I know what you mean about the excitement of such singing.

It's so wonderful that there are now web sites where a person can learn the parts of great pieces of choral music.

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: GUEST
Date: 06 Jan 17 - 08:16 AM

I know it's too late but for future reference, vocal scores are available for free here:

http://imslp.org/wiki/Messiah,_HWV_56_(Handel,_George_Frideric)

Scroll down to "scores/parts/vocal scores

there are 33 different versions apparently.

Cheers,

Weasel

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: GUEST,Grishka
Date: 07 Jan 17 - 04:18 PM

This is THE site for chorus singers. Excellent MIDI files, software to play them that emphasizes your part, slows down, transposes. Instructions.

Kudos to the site owner "John" (whose full name is not difficult to find, but he chooses not to mention it on his site)!

Long oratorios like the Messiah are rarely performed completely nowadays. Whoever participates in such a "Messiah From Scratch"-like performance is perfectly entitled to ask in advanced which of the chorus pieces will be sung. Some conductors may choose to perform some four-part pieces with soloists or a small selection of choral singers. Handel down in Westminster Abbey won't care, he's used to worse abuses.

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: keberoxu
Date: 07 Jan 17 - 04:33 PM

Grishka, your statement is true. Complete "Messiah"s are the exception now. One traditional exception is Boston's Handel and Haydn Society: the complete Messiah is performed every Advent, every year. But that comes of being a big metro area with heavily financially endowed music organizations. Out in the heartland it is different.

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: Mo the caller
Date: 07 Jan 17 - 05:56 PM

Just come back from it. (With a big grin)
We had a real good go at it. A rehearsal on Wed evening, one this morning, another with orchestra this afternoon, then sang it this evening.

We did cut some. One chorus that I wasn't at all sorry to miss -Thanks be to God - the alto line rather reminded me of 'Thank you very much', though I don't think Handel wrote that. The other was 'Let us break their bonds, which I would have liked to do.

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: Noreen
Date: 07 Jan 17 - 09:11 PM

The Really Big Chorus perform Messiah in the Royal Albert Hall in late November every year. I've joined in with this scratch performance for the last two years and would highly recommend it.

No rehearsal at all, so know your part beforehand 😊

There is a small audience, but otherwise the whole Hall is filled with singers. To be part of that is just indescribable.

Glad yours went so well, Mo. You must do it again now you've learned it...!

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: Mo the caller
Date: 26 Dec 18 - 03:30 PM

I shall Noreen. Just resurrected this thread to see the link. Nantwich Singers do it every 2 years so I've had an email that it is coming round again. I've ordered my own copy from Oxfam books (don't use Amazon if I can avoid them), I shall need my own copy, even if I don't sing in Nantwich as, after the excitement of finding that I could cope with that I joined Tatton Singers and we are singing it at Christmas.

I've found myself in another little world, not unlike the world of folk-dance. Friendly enthusiasts with a common aim.

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: Tattie Bogle
Date: 26 Dec 18 - 05:59 PM

Hallelujah! (Sorry, couldn't resist!)
I got the same buzz out of being in a Gilbert & Sullivan society: never a soloist, always "just" in the chorus.

Subject: RE: Which bits of Messiah do the chorus sing
From: Charmion
Date: 29 Dec 18 - 12:49 PM

I first sang in a performance of Messiah at age 13 and, as I’m 64 now, I reckon I must have about 30 Messiahs behind me. I know the alto parts of all the choruses by heart and most of the arias, too, but I find I still have lots to learn from every conductor who dares to take on this great work.

The choir I sing with now does it every year in early December, with only four or five rehearsals to prepare. It’s always a bit tense, even though most of the singers know their parts as well as I do, because the real challenge isn’t the notes, it’s making all those moving parts work together — often in a space with iffy acoustics. With more than a hundred choristers and four soloists packed into the chancel of a big old-fashioned Roman Catholic church, the sopranos on the left end can’t hear the altos on the right, but the back row of the audience (just inside the main doors) can hear a bass in the back row of the chorus (up against the altar) ask the guy beside him for a Kleenex.