Music Man

How do you like your Messiah? When I was a lad, you got together the biggest choir you could and took the whole thing in a very stately, considered way. More recently it has become the fashion to use a much smaller choral ensemble and significantly up the tempi. It says much for the genius of Handel (who apparently knocked out the whole thing in just over three weeks) that it doesn't matter how you approach it, the work speaks for itself. Me, for listening to I think I favour the more modern spare zippy approach, but for singing, there's nothing to beat the thrill of being in a really big choir and giving it some serious wellie!