BBC The Proms 2009 - The Royal Albert Hall - 6 September 2009

In commemoration of the 250th anniversary of Handel’s death, 40 choristers took part in a large-scale, Royal Albert Hall-sized performance of Messiah – echoing the late-18th-century monster concerts that inspired Haydn’s Creation (Prom 2) – Handel specialist Nicholas McGegan conducted a unique massed choir of young voices from around the UK, assembled under the direction of leading choral specialist Simon Halsey.

Supported by 4 chaperones they made their way to The Sage in Gateshead on 2 September 2009 to join other choirs in rehearsals for taking part in the BBC Proms the following Sunday.  They were not only joined by the other choirs but also by the orchestra from Northern Sinfonia and 4 soloists.  The choirs worked hard during their 4 days of rehearsals before travelling to London by train on the Saturday.  Final rehearsals took part on the morning of Sunday 6 September followed by time off in the afternoon to relax and rest their vocal chords.  It was then time to get changed and prepare to take part in the evening performance of Messiah.  Also taking part were:

Dominique Labelle soprano
Patricia Bardon mezzo-soprano
John Mark Ainsley tenor
Matthew Rose bass

Members of:
City of Birmingham Symphony Youth Chorus
Hallé Youth Choir
National Youth Choir of Great Britain
National Youth Choir of Wales
Quay Voices (The Sage Gateshead)
RSCM Millennium Youth Choir

Northern Sinfonia
Nicholas McGegan conductor

The choristers and chaperones would like to say a big thank you and well done to all the other choirs who took part in Messiah.  We are grateful to the chaperones and members of the other 6 choirs who welcomed our young choristers with respect.  They certainly held their own with more experienced singers. 

Some choir members performing "The Messiah" at the Royal Albert Hall.

Reviews following the spectacular night were:

From

The Times

September 8, 2009

Prom 68: Messiah at the Albert Hall, London SW7

Geoff Brown
Black, red, white, blue, lilac: they came in five colours.  But whatever their dress code, the seven British youth choirs serried in stadium seats on the Albert Hall stage sang with a uniformity of tone, attack and spirit that was simply gorgeous to hear. The national “Sing Hallulejah” scheme, mounted by Radio 3 and English National Opera, couldn’t have had a brighter send-off.

Here’s the Prom’s roll-call of honour, in order of choir size: the National Youth Choir of Wales, the Hallé Youth Choir, the Scunthorpe Co-operative Junior Choir, Quay Voices (from the Sage, Gateshead), the RSCM Millennium Youth Choir, the National Youth Choir of Great Britain, the CBSO Youth Choir. Once upon a century, their cumulative number - 320 - might have generated a Messiah performance as weighty as the Albert Hall itself.  But the most remarkable aspect of Sunday's Prom with Nicholas McGegan and Northern Sinfonia was the night's springing pace.  The Trumpet Shall sound.  Matthew Rose, bass, wins the enunciation prize, though he wasn't always at the centre of his pitch.  The mezzo Patricia Bardon, dull at first, hit the spot beautifully with He Was Despised. Affecting expression came easiest to the soprano.  Dominique Labelle, queen of subtle dynamic inflections.  The tenor John Mark Ainsley was what one calls stalwart.  But the night's true stars sat behind: 320 of them in black, red, white, blue and lilac.

Staccato rhythms, strong accents, clipped chords, compact orchestral forces: McGegan was determined to preach the gospel of “authentic” performances. Occasionally his doctrines failed to deliver, but these blips mattered far less than the clarity and punch McGegan engendered, or the many soaring instrumental delights, topped by the regalia of Richard Martin’s trumpet, down front for The Trumpet Shall Sound.  Matthew Rose, bass, wins the enunciation prize, though he wasn't always at the centre of his pitch.  The mezzo Patricia Bardon, dull at first, hit the spot beautifully with He Was Despised. Affecting expression came easiest to the soprano,

Dominique Labelle, queen of subtle dynamic inflections. The tenor John Mark Ainsley was what one calls stalwart. But the night’s true stars sat behind: 320 of them, in black, red, white, blue and lilac.

Prom 68 - Messiah, Royal Albert Hall, London

Monday 7 September 2009 23.00 BST

There has been some debate of late as to whether audiences should stand for the Hallelujah chorus in honour of a national tradition supposedly begun by George II.  Certainly, those among the PROMS audience who weren't already on their feet jumped to them when the familiar jubilatory strains rose from the orchestra. The surprise lay in the fact that they weren't immediately knocked off them again, such was the sheer volume of sound marshalled by the 350-odd singers drawn from seven youth choirs.

The tradition of massed-choir performances of Messiah is almost as old as that of standing for the Hallelujah. Less traditional is that these performances be excellent. From the angular polyphony of "Let us break their bonds" and the running filigree of "For unto us", to the homophonic splendour of "Since by man came death", no stray consonant nor wandering semiquaver could be heard. In terms of expression, too, the singing was sensitively conceived and brilliantly executed.

Much of the credit should go to Nicholas McGegan, who led with even judgment mixed with infectious enthusiasm. The Northern Sinfonia rose well to the occasion, as did the soloists, particularly Dominique Labelle's nightingale soprano and Matthew Rose's thundering bass. If there was a blot on the pastoral landscape it came from some bizarre backstage bleating, perhaps in anticipation of the famous "All we like sheep" chorus. Evidently we don't like them that much because its source disappeared in the interval. There are very few British institutions impervious to our national love of selfmockery. But Messiah, when performed like this, should be one of them.