Hallelujah Chorus...again.

[I love this performance. Notice that BOYS are singing the soprano and alto parts in this performance. Also notice the trumpets do not have valves.]

Surely you have heard this piece of music!

Today in class we talked about Handel's oratorio, The Messiah. 

A masterpiece.

[That is why this piece is on my mind. 
Again.
Bear with me.
I am hopeful that I don't repeat too much of the same stuff from an earlier post here.]

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A little background for my non-musician friends.

An oratorio is a dramatic multi-movement composition that makes use of vocal soloists, a chorus, and orchestra.  It is often based on a biblical topic.  There is no scenery, costumes, dancing or any of those other things you might associate with opera.

In fact, a student once said his high school choir director took them to the most BORING opera he'd ever had to sit through.

I asked if there had been action, scenery, costumes. He said, "No, they just stood to sing then sat down!" I told him he had probably been at an oratorio.

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There is a tradition that goes along with the "Hallelujah Chorus."

The tradition is to stand during the chorus.

The story goes that many years ago when the king attended a performance of the oratorio, The Messiah, that he stood at the beginning of the "Hallelujah Chorus."  And, when the king stands, EVERYONE stands.

It would be grand to think that he was so moved by the music that HRM leapt from his seat in joy.

Odds are more likely that he was just tired of sitting sing this piece occurs a ways into the entire 2.5 hour work.

~*~*~*~

I have quite a bit of history with this piece.

My first experience was singing it in my high school chorus accompanied by piano.

Then in my undergraduate years my college chorus sang it - a cappella!

During my graduate studies I had the opportunity to experience the work in two different ways. First, I got to play with the university's orchestra to accompany the performance. Then, as the final for my private conducting lessons, I got to conduct/run a rehearsal of the entire Messiah with the orchestra. What a wonderful opportunity that was! Sure, my heart sank as my private instructor pushed the score (1" thick) towards me and told me that was my final, but BOY, what a final!

As my career as a music teacher moved forward my experiences with the oratorio and this piece was through performances with the local community chorus as well as annual community sings of the entire work during the Christmas season.

Now, I get to share it with my students.

~*~*~*~
I guess the funniest story I have about this piece is when I played it over the loud speaker at my school on the last day of school after all of the students had gone.

[I'll let you in on a little secret: teachers celebrate the end of the school year just as students do! Shhh!!]

Little did I know, as the teachers were celebrating in their rooms and in the hallways, that my principal was in an important meeting in the superintendent's office.

Let's just say, she was not amused. :(

But, I did survive to tell about it! :)

Whew!

Short & Sweet

Recently my sister and I talked about the attention span of my nearly 3yo great-niece (her granddaughter) while doing "craps" (translation: "crafts").

Today I attended a piano recital. The program progressed quickly and the musical works were interspersed with light banter.

Afterwards I mentioned to the performer that it was an "easy" recital - not in terms of the music, but in terms of the length of the works.

The pieces were more enjoyable because they were not incessantly long.

We talked about how it is important to consider the audience when preparing music for listening.

In my classes I make every effort to keep the listening examples long enough to get an idea of the music, but not too long to make the students tired or bored.

As for me, I could listen for hours, but I know many of my students wouldn't tolerate that so class listening examples are right at 2-3 minutes.

Yes, that is very short.

And yes, some students may want to listen longer.

While this is true, I must keep in mind that I do have a curriculum to get through.

I appease my desire to play the music longer with the knowledge that students do have access to the work in its entirety through our school's online classroom platform so those who wish to may take advantage of that.

So, like my listening example this reflection of the day is ...

Short & Sweet.

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Tonight's Musical Experience

How can I describe tonight's experience?

Intergenerational.

     I sat next to a high school freshman. Around 14-15 years old.
     There were a few people older than me.
     Lots of young'uns. :)

Like riding a bicycle.
     For some it had been YEARS since they'd done this.
     Slowly it came back to them.

Reflective.
     Tonight brought back many memories for me.
     Not just what I was doing, but the feelings and sense of contentment.

Community.
     I was in a room full of mostly strangers, but yet I felt comfortable and included.

One might ask what I am talking about.

Why, I am talking about an experience that many in America have had - that of playing in a community band.

If you have watched many episodes of the Andy Griffith show you might recall an episode when the Mayberry band was revived.

I was privileged to have grown up in a town that had a community band.

I spent several summers practicing in the, thankfully, air conditioned band room as well as performing at the band shell in the city park.

You see I was once that young freshman sitting next to me tonight.

Now it would appear I am the old person I once sat next to!

My, how times have changed, but yet so much remains the same.

For, after all, it is the music and the joy of actively making music together that brought us together.

An example of the power of music.

Wait!
Did you play in band when you were younger?
Do you miss that sense of belonging and playing your instrument?
Do you still have your instrument?
Maybe YOU could have a similar experience to what I had tonight.
Check around where you live and hopefully, if you're lucky enough, you'll find a community band in your very own home town!