Handel’s Messiah comes to Dufferin County

December 4, 2015 · 0 Comments

The Dufferin Concert Singers and The New Tecumseth Singers accompanied by 20 members of the Waterloo Chamber Players Orchestra and four vocal soloists are busy preparing for the ‘Messiah’ presentation in Orangeville on Saturday, December 12 at 7:30 p.m. at Westminster United Church, 247 Broadway, Orangeville. This performance will take place again on Sunday, Dec. 13 at 3 p.m. at Banting Memorial High School in Alliston.
The ‘Messiah’, the best-known and best-loved of all choral works, tells the Old Testament prophecies of the coming of the Messiah, the Birth of Christ, his Death and Resurrection. Lastly, mankind’s salvation through His death is triumphantly proclaimed in the final chorus. Only an inspired person could have produced this masterpiece in less than a month.
The moment he started working on the ‘Messiah’, Handel seemed under a spell, not leaving the house, nor allowing visitors to disturb him. Food brought to him was frequently left untouched;sleep evaded him. When his servants tried to persuade him to eat or rest, he replied with such fury that they thought he was going insane.
As the composition reached its final stage, the intensity of his inspiration increased; he pounded incessantly on the harpsichord and worked until his fingers gave out. As he completed the “Hallelujah Chorus”, he exclaimed to his servant, “I think I did see all heaven before me, and the great God himself.”
The intensity of this chorus so moved King George II that he stood during an early performance of the work. To this day audiences around the world do the same, as they feel moved and inspired by the work composed 274 years ago.
Soloists for this performance include Hannah Shelton Campbell, Cara Cameron, both lovely talented and familiar voices of Dufferin County and have sung in numerous community events as soloists, in major works and with orchestras. Blair Spry is a recent voice graduate from Wifrid Laurier University and currently doing additional studies and singing with the renown Daniel Lichti.
Bass, Lorne Derraugh is a well known vocal soloist in the Simcoe, New Tecumseth region who strongly believes in community music.
Although Messiah does not start until 7:30 p.m. on Saturday, December 12, ‘The Bells of Westminster’ under the direction of Shirely Jemmett will start the evening with some Christmas joy as a prelude to the Messiah at 7 p.m.
Tickets are moving on this event. You may purchase a ticket at Westminster United Church at 519-941-0381, or Booklore, 121 First Street, 519-942-3830 or Korsten Jewellers Inc., 163 Broadway 519-941-1707. Should you know any choir members, feel free to contact them. Failing all of the above, feel free to contact John at 519-925-6149. For general information regarding the choirs please visit thedufferinconcertsingers.com or thenewtecumsethsingers.com
A portion of the admission fee will go towards establishing a vocal scholarship for the Annual Orangeville and District Music Festival.