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A Scratch ''Messiah'', People's ''Messiah'', Come Sing ''Messiah'', Sing-it-yourself ''Messiah'', Do-it-yourself ''Messiah'' (DIY ''Messiah''), or Sing along ''Messiah'' (the first two British and Australian usage, the last three common in North America) is an informal performance of
Handel's ''
Messiah
In Abrahamic religions, a messiah or messias (; ,
; ,
; ) is a saviour or liberator of a group of people. The concepts of ''mashiach'', messianism, and of a Messianic Age originated in Judaism, and in the Hebrew Bible, in which a ''mashiach'' ...
'' in which the audience serves as the unrehearsed
chorus
Chorus may refer to:
Music
* Chorus (song) or refrain, line or lines that are repeated in music or in verse
* Chorus effect, the perception of similar sounds from multiple sources as a single, richer sound
* Chorus form, song in which all verse ...
, often supported by a carefully prepared core group. Orchestra and soloists are usually professionals, though their services are often donated for
charity benefits. The "scratch" name derives from the idea of cooking or
building from scratch.
History
Scratch Messiah performances have their origins in the British tradition of
choral societies
A choir ( ; also known as a chorale or chorus) is a musical ensemble of singers. Choral music, in turn, is the music written specifically for such an ensemble to perform. Choirs may perform music from the classical music repertoire, which sp ...
, when large choruses of untrained amateur singers could participate in performances of large-scale concert works. Handel's Messiah was originally composed with charitable purposes in mind, having grown out of the 1749 performance of the
Foundling Hospital Anthem
The ''Foundling Hospital Anthem'' ( HWV 268), also known by its longer title ''"Blessed are they that considereth the poor"'', is a choral anthem composed by George Frideric Handel in 1749. It was written for the Foundling Hospital in London a ...
and Handel's annual Easter performance of Messiah in the chapel of the
Foundling Hospital
The Foundling Hospital in London, England, was founded in 1739 by the philanthropic sea captain Thomas Coram. It was a children's home established for the "education and maintenance of exposed and deserted young children." The word "hospital" w ...
in London. ''Messiah'' was composed so that it could be performed after a limited number of rehearsals, and thus lent itself well to the large Handel Festivals held from the 1820s onwards in Birmingham, Manchester, Liverpool and London. At these gatherings, large, amateur "scratch" choirs were formed from members of the public who travelled to the cities from all over Britain.
Performances
Such performances have become a tradition among music lovers in the English-speaking world, especially around Christmas time, and appear to be developing a following in the Netherlands and China as well. Often a "Sing-along ''Messiah''" is organised in a concert hall or church, where a choir has rehearsed the music, but the public are invited to bring scores and join in. On a smaller scale, a ''Messiah'' party may take the form of a group of friends gathered around the piano in someone's home, and this is typically sung entirely ''
a prima vista
In music, sight-reading, also called ''a prima vista'' (Italian meaning "at first sight"), is the practice of reading and performing of a piece in a music notation that the performer has not seen or learned before. Sight-singing is used to descri ...
''. Usually these are informal events, though occasionally there is a dress code: formal concert dress or even 18th century period costume.
One example of a large-scale event is the "Do-It-Yourself ''Messiah''" held in
Chicago
(''City in a Garden''); I Will
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since 1976, organized by the International Music Foundation. It is held in the
Harris Theater for Music and Dance. There is a volunteer orchestra and hired soloists, and the audience serves as the chorus. Similarly,
CAMMAC in Canada organizes "Come! Sing ''Messiah''" events.
Avery Fisher Hall
David Geffen Hall is a concert hall in New York City's Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts complex on Manhattan's Upper West Side. The 2,200-seat auditorium opened in 1962, and is the home of the New York Philharmonic.
The facility, designe ...
at
Lincoln Center
Lincoln Center for the Performing Arts (also simply known as Lincoln Center) is a complex of buildings in the Lincoln Square neighborhood on the Upper West Side of Manhattan. It has thirty indoor and outdoor facilities and is host to 5 millio ...
is another large-scale annual event, with professional orchestra and soloists. It uses nearly two dozen conductors chosen from various choirs in New York City, who each conduct one selection from the work.. A similar event, among the first in the US, has been held in Lexington MA since 1962.
The largest regular performance in the UK, the "Messiah from Scratch", is held annually at the
Royal Albert Hall
The Royal Albert Hall is a concert hall on the northern edge of South Kensington, London. One of the UK's most treasured and distinctive buildings, it is held in trust for the nation and managed by a registered charity which receives no govern ...
, London. This event, which now attracts more than 3000 singers each year, was first held in 1974. From 1979 until 2009, the performance was conducted by
Sir David Willcocks
Sir David Valentine Willcocks, (30 December 1919 – 17 September 2015) was a British choral conductor, organist, composer and music administrator. He was particularly well known for his association with the Choir of King's College, Cambrid ...
.
See also
*
Scratch Orchestra
The Scratch Orchestra was an experimental musical ensemble founded in the spring of 1969 by Cornelius Cardew, Michael Parsons and Howard Skempton.
In the draft constitution published in the ''Musical Times'' of June 1969, Cardew defines a scrat ...
*
References
External links
Editions and links at CPDLpdf public domain scorePiano accompaniments for Messiah Major Choruses
{{Messiah (Handel)
Choirs
Messiah (Handel)
Choral festivals