Choral reading of Handel's Messiah with thousands of singers, no rehearsal, conducted by Brian Kay and the English Festival Orchestra at the Royal Albert Hall.
Messiah from Scratch returns to the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 8 November, 7.00 pm, for another reading of Handel's Messiah. It's run by The Really Big Chorus, which bills itself as the UK's largest choral society and the world's most celebrated choral participation event. The whole thing is built around a single, slightly daunting premise: thousands of singers gather in the weeks leading up to Christmas to perform the oratorio with no rehearsal. The organisers say that's exactly where the excitement comes from — a superb, adrenaline-filled evening where the singers generally outnumber the audience three to one.
On the night, the chorus is led by Brian Kay and the English Festival Orchestra. The vocal soloists are Eyra Norman on soprano, Tim Morgan on countertenor, Ruairi Bowen on tenor, and Jerome Knox on baritone. The Hall's 'Father' Willis organ is played by Roderick Elms. It's a massive production, and the 'from scratch' part is literal — the singers just turn up and go for it.
The event has been running since 1974, with hundreds of thousands of singers taking part over the years. It supports The Royal Society of Musicians of Great Britain, whose 'Fund for decay'd Musicians' Handel himself signed in 1738. George III later granted the fund royal patronage in 1784 and decreed that Messiah should be performed annually for its benefit. Handel wrote the work's 52 movements in just 24 days, and the first charity performance took place in 1750 for the Foundling Hospital. English audiences have stood for the Hallelujah Chorus ever since George II reportedly jumped to his feet at that point.
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It's a long-running London tradition that brings together a huge number of people for one night of music. If you've never seen it, it's a good place to start. The performance is at the Royal Albert Hall on Sunday 8 November, starting at 7.00 pm.
