“Messiah” time again

Press, Volume CX, Issue 32462, 24 November 1970, Page 11

“Messiah” time again

When the choir of the Christchurch Harmonic Society combines with the Christchurch Civic Orchestra and several leading soloists to perform Handel’s mammoth choral work, the “Messiah,” in the Civic Theatre on Wednesday and Thursday it will be at least the twentyeighth time since 1927 that this choir has given the annual Christmas performances of the work.

Although a performance by a Christchurch harmonic choir is recorded as far back as the 1880 s, the annual performances date from 1927, the year of the Harmonic Society’s formation. Until 1940, the Harmonic Society held a monopoly on the annual performances; since then, the work has been presented in alternate years by the other big Christchurch choral organisation, the Royal Christchurch Musical Society. In recent years, the work has had two-night seasons; and it has been performed on occasion at other times of the year, too. This year’s soloists, besides the familiar faces of Heather Tayor (soprano), Ross Mayhew (tenor) and Grant Dick-

son (bass), include an English contralto, Helen Watts. The musical direction is by William Hawkey, and the orchestra leader is Louis Yffer. Helen Watts is here on tour from England for the N.Z.B.C. and is to sing in “Messiah” performances in Auckland, Christchurch, Wellington and Palmerston North. She is internationally known and has, in the last 10 years, taken part in performances all around the world—in 'the United Kingdom, the United States and Europe (including Russia), and under many conductors, including Richter, Haitink, Horenstein and Britten. Before this tour Miss Watts sang in Amsterdam, in Mahler’s Symphony No. 3, with Haitink and the Concertgebouw. In 1740 the Duke of Devonshire, Lord Lieutenant of Ireland, invited Handel to compose an oratorio for performance in Dublin, the proceeds of which were to be given to charity. But it was not until 1741, and in circumstances largely fortuitous, that Handel set about the complying with this invitation. Early in that year the composer was visited by Charles Jennens, a wealthy Leicestershire landowner who, not withstanding some foibles, affections ana eccentricities, possessed literary and artistic capacities of un-

doubted merit Jennens brought with him a manuscript consisting of biblical texts chosen from the Old Testament prophets and the Psalms, the Gospel narratives, the epistles of St Paul and the Revelations of St John. These texts or quotations Jennens had selected and arranged with remarkable skill to present allusively and indirectly, the Promise, Advent, Birth and Incarnation of the “Messiah” as Saviour and Redeemer, His Passion, Death and Resurrection.

This was the origin of the great work which has held pride of place in English choral music, and has been the most frequently performed choral masterpiece. Handel composed and completed the “Messiah” in August-September of 1741, a task which occupied 22 days. The first performance was given in Dublin under Handel’s direction on April 13, 1742, and the first London performance on March 23, 1743. Thereafter, annual renderings were given by the composer until his death in 1759. Handel made successive revisions and expanded the original scoring of the instrumental parts.