Getting a Handel on Things

Hallelujah! The Messiah is coming!—to Sanders Theatre. As part of the weekend-long Arts First festival, the three Holden Choirs will combine to perform George Frederic Handel’s famous work. The performance also marks a unique collaboration between the three choirs: the all-male Glee Club, all-female Radcliffe Choral Society, and the mixed Harvard-Radcliffe Collegium Musicum.

Throughout the year, each chorus conducts its own concert series under the masterful baton of Director of Choral Activities and Senior Lecturer on Music Jameson Marvin. The Holden Choirs, named after the chapel in which they often rehearse, perform a wide variety of pieces written from the 15th to the 21st century, but rarely take the stage in such numbers. The merger of three 60-person choruses will fill Sanders’ stage with nearly 200 vocalists.

As if that weren’t enough, the choirs will be joined by The Orchestra of Emmanuel Music, a professional ensemble that specializes in performing Baroque and early Classical music. To execute this elaborate undertaking, 16 student soloists will deliver the various arias and recitatives throughout the show.

“The Messiah,” often performed in recognition and celebration of the Christmas season, actually incorporates text from both the Old and New Testament. As one of the few well-known choral pieces sung in English, its powerful lyrics—juxtaposed with its deeply emotional music—are not only powerful but also accessible for an English-speaking audience.

So take your seats and watch as this super-choir offers an exciting, not-to-be-missed rendition of Handel’s masterpiece. You all know how the Hallelujah chorus goes; now it’s time to discover the joys of the entire piece.

—Jennifer D. Chang