CHENNAI: George Frideric Handel’s oratorio, Messiah, is one of the best-known works in western music. The Madras Musical Association (MMA) Choir and Orchestra, almost a decade after performing the Messiah with a 50-member choir, will be revisiting the composition and presenting it on Sunday at The Museum Theatre, Egmore.
The MMA Choir will present a selection of pieces including choruses and solos in a two-hour presentation. The concert will be conducted by Augustine Paul, music director, The Madras Musical Association, and the orchestra will be led by Earl Joseph.
“Messiah is a body of work that brings joy and lifts the human spirit. Every piece of work has its own colour, and Handel’s composition is so beautiful. The whole work is tightly knit, crisp and wonderful,” says Augustine Paul.
The composition will be performed by a 100-voice MMA choir, joined by the 25-piece MMA orchestra. “The choir has grown in size over the years. We have people who are young and old. Staging the Messiah with all these voices and accompaniments on one stage is going to be special,” he shares.
Over the years, the 126-year-old MMA has performed selections from the composition multiple times. For this concert, a total of 36 pieces will be sung by the choir sharing the story of Christ’s life in three sections - from his birth, life, death, resurrection and the second coming. “This is the Lent season, and there couldn’t have been a more appropriate time to perform Messiah. We have been rehearsing for the last three months, and every time, new intricacies bring a new dimension to each chorus and aria. We hope that people enjoy what we have to offer,” shares Augustine.
(The concert will take place on Sunday at 6.30 pm at the Egmore Museum. Donor passes at Rs 300, Rs 500 and Rs 1,000 are available at Pro Musicals, PMA School of Music, Musee Musicals, and at ww.whistlepodu.com)