A Scratch
Messiah,
People's Messiah,
Come Sing Messiah,
Sing-it-yourself Messiah, or
Sing along Messiah (the first two British and Australian usage, the last two common in North America) is an informal performance of Handel's
Messiah'' in which the audience serves as the unrehearsed chorus, often supported by a carefully prepared core group. Orchestra and soloists are usually professionals, though their services are often donated for charity benefits. The name should by no means be confused with the experimental scratch orchestra tradition, but rather derives from the idea of cooking from scratch.
Such performances have become a tradition among music lovers in the English-speaking world, 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''. Usually these are informal events, though occasionally there is a dress code: formal concert dress or even . Frequently these events are held during Advent, and often they are associated with fund-raising for charitable purposes.
One particularly famous instance of this is the LaSalle Bank Do-It-Yourself Messiah
held in Chicago at the Civic Opera House. There is a volunteer orchestra and hired soloists, and the audience serves as the chorus. Similarly, CAMMAC in Canada organizes "Come! Sing Messiah" events.
|
DO IT YOURSELF MESSIAH TICKETS
|
A
Scratch
Messiah
,
People's Messiah
,
Come Sing Messiah
,
Sing-it-yourself Messiah
, or
Sing along Messiah
(the first two British and Australian usage, the last two common in North America) is an informal performance of Handel's
Messiah'' in which the audience serves as the unrehearsed
chorus, often supported by a carefully prepared core group. Orchestra and soloists are usually professionals, though their services are often donated for
charity benefits. The name should by no means be confused with the experimental
scratch orchestra tradition, but rather derives from the idea of cooking
from scratch.
Such performances have become a tradition among music lovers in the English-speaking world, 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''. Usually these are informal events, though occasionally there is a dress code: formal concert dress or even . Frequently these events are held during
Advent, and often they are associated with fund-raising for charitable purposes.
One particularly famous instance of this is the
LaSalle Bank Do-It-Yourself Messiah
held in
Chicago at the
Civic Opera House. There is a volunteer orchestra and hired soloists, and the audience serves as the chorus. Similarly, CAMMAC in Canada organizes "Come! Sing Messiah" events.