Taking ‘Messiah’ To Blenheim

Press, Volume CIV, Issue 30927, 7 December 1965, Page 15

Taking ‘Messiah’ To Blenheim

Handel'* "Meulah" will be rang ta Blenheim on Saturday by the Royal Christchurch Musical Society on its first visit to the town.

About 125 members of the eholr, which has a strength of 200, will make the trip. They will travel to Blenheim in four buses on Saturday and return on Sunday. More than half the choir will be billeted for the night. Interest in a visit by the cboir was roused when the choir sang In Kalkoura two years ago. People came from as far as Blenheim for that concert.

Saturday’s concert, given at the request of the churches of Blenheim, will be held in the Marlborough College Hall. Conducted by Robert Field-

Dodgson, the choir will sing the concert-length “Mesilah,” which although a little shorter than the original version is the one the choir will sing In it* two Christchurch performances next week. The soloists for the Blenheim performance will be Margaret Jenkinson, June McWilllam, Anson Austin, and Alexander Robson. There will he a small string orchestra drawn from the Christchurch Civic Orchestra, and Wallace Woodley will provide piano accompaniment. Although traditionally regarded as a Christmas work, the "Messiah” Is sometimes sung at other time* oversea*. The Royal Choral Society sings it in January and, in Its entirety, on Good Friday, while some Welsh choral group* sing it during Passton week.

In Christchurch, where this year it will be sung for the 101st year, it is sung ta alternate yean by the Royal Christchurch Musical Society and the Christchurch Harmonic Society. Four star soloists will sing with the choir in the “Messiah” in Christchurch on Thunday and Saturday next week, Rosemary Gordon, Heather Begg, Grant Dickson and Peter Baillie, and the choir will be accompanied by the augmented John Ritchie String Orchestra.