From Our Conductor...

From Our Conductor...
Greetings, Esteemed Choir!
    As we prepare ourselves for another season of life at church, at home, and in our daily lives, let me thank you again for the absolutely wonderful performances of Messiah last November. I am grateful for all of the hard work, commitment, confidence, and adaptability you showed last year. Each year gives us more reasons to be thankful in mind, body, and spirit.
    Handel’s Messiah is a wonderful tradition that we share with each other and with our audiences. Yes, Messiah is a tradition but one that breathes and changes every time we approach it. The work is so deep, like many masterpieces, we draw from it something new each time we sing it. Handel was one of the few composers Mozart actually revered and studied. His appreciation for Handel and Messiah was so great that he re-orchestrated the piece using more modern instruments (adding flute, clarinet and horns). Why? I am not sure, but Mozart loved it enough that he believed the work would be more “fresh” and inspire more audiences. If Mozart liked it, we should too!
    In my mind, I prefer the more original and Baroque version as it is more transparent and allows the text of the work to shine through. That is our job as a choir: to bring the text of Messiah–from Isaiah to Revelation–to as many people as we can. I agree with Mozart in his reverence for Handel’s music: the beauty is in the music and its perfect marriage to the text.
    As you know, we have a great orchestra and wonderful soloists. However, in most oratorios, the real weight lies in the hands of the choir. The choir is responsible for much of the message, the forward momentum, and the thrilling dynamic work and fantastic counterpoint. As I have said every year, we get better and better in taking on this responsibility and giving God’s gift to us, Jesus Christ, to ourselves, our families, and the community. 
I look forward to working with you!
Sincerely, Mike Beert, Director