Handel's Messiah

with the NAC Orchestra

2023-12-20 19:00 2023-12-21 23:00 60 Canada/Eastern 🎟 NAC: Handel's Messiah

https://nac-cna.ca/en/event/33735

In-person event

George Frideric Handel’s Messiah is undoubtedly one of the most cherished choral works of Western music, exuding joy and humanity from start to finish and celebrating our relationship with the divine. GRAMMY Award–winning conductor Jeannette Sorrell is recognized internationally as one of today’s best interpreters of Baroque and Classical repertoire. Sorrell founded the renowned chamber orchestra Apollo’s Fire, which has performed sold-out shows at Carnegie Hall, the BBC...

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Southam Hall,1 Elgin Street,Ottawa,Canada
December 20 - 21, 2023

≈ 2 hours and 18 minutes · With intermission

Our programs have gone digital.

Scan the QR code at the venue's entrance to read the program notes before the show begins.

Last updated: December 18, 2023

Dedication

This performance of Handel’s Messiah is dedicated to the memory of Mrs. Margarete Mrak. We are grateful for Mrs. Mrak's dedication to live music and for the Mrak Family for continuing her legacy. 

Read more on her legacy here.

Program

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL Messiah, HWV 56

PART ONE

Sinfony: Grave – Allegro moderato

Accompagnato (Tenor): Comfort ye, comfort ye, my people, saith your God. Speak ye comfortably to Jerusalem, and cry unto her, that her warfare is accomplished, that her iniquity is pardoned. The voice of him that crieth in the wilderness, “Prepare ye the way of the Lord, make straight in the desert a highway for our God.”

Air (Tenor): Ev’ry valley shall be exalted, ev’ry mountain and hill made low, the crooked straight, and the rough places plain.

Chorus: And the glory of the Lord shall be revealed, and all flesh shall see it together, for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

Accompagnato (Bass): Thus saith the Lord, the Lord of Hosts: yet once, a little while, and I will shake the heav’ns, and the earth, the sea and the dry land; and I will shake all nations, and the desire of all nations shall come: the Lord whom you seek, shall suddenly come to His temple, ev’n the messenger of the covenant, whom ye delight in: behold He shall come, the Lord of hosts.

Air (Alto) : But who may abide the day of His coming? And who shall stand when He appeareth? For He is like a refiner’s fire.

Chorus: And He shall purify the sons of Levi that they may offer unto the Lord an offering in righteousness.

Recitative (Alto): Behold, a virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call His name Emmanuel: “God with us.”

Air (Alto) and Chorus: O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion, get thee up into the high mountain; O thou that tellest good tidings to Jerusalem, lift up thy voice with strength; lift it up, be not afraid; say unto the cities of Judah, “Behold your God: Arise, shine, for thy light is come, and the glory of the Lord is risen upon thee.”

Accompagnato (Bass): For behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people: but the Lord shall arise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee, and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and the kings to the brightness of thy rising.

Air (Bass): The people that walked in darkness have seen a great light; and they that dwell in the land of the shadow of death, upon them hath the light shined.

Chorus: For unto us a Child is born, unto us a Son is given, and the government shall be upon His shoulder; and His name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.

Pifa: Pastoral Symphony

Recitative (Soprano): There were shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flocks by night.

Accompagnato (Soprano): And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the glory of the Lord shone round about them, and they were sore afraid.

Recitative (Soprano): And the angel said unto them: Fear not, for behold, I bring you good tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord.

Accompagnato (Soprano): And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host, praising God, and saying,

Chorus: Glory to God in the highest and peace on earth, good will toward men.

Air (Soprano): Rejoice greatly, O daughter of Zion; shout, O daughter of Jerusalem; behold, thy King cometh unto thee: He is the righteous Saviour, and He shall speak peace unto the heathen.

Chorus: His yoke is easy, and His burthen is light.

Intermission

PART TWO

Chorus: Surely, He hath borne our griefs, and carried our sorrows. He was wounded for our transgressions. He was bruised for our iniquities, the chastisement of our peace was upon Him.

Chorus: And with His stripes we are healed.

Chorus: All we like sheep have gone astray; we have turned every one to his own way, and the Lord hath laid on Him the iniquity of us all.

Air (Alto): He was despised and rejected of men; a man of sorrows, and acquainted with grief. He gave His back to the smiters, and His cheeks to them that plucked off the hair: He hid not His face from shame and spitting.

Accompagnato (Tenor): All they that see Him, laugh Him to scorn; they shoot out their lips, and shake their heads, saying:

Chorus: He trusted in God that He would deliver Him: let Him deliver Him, if He delight in Him.

Accompagnato (Tenor): Thy rebuke hath broken His heart; He is full of heaviness; He looked for some to have pity on Him, but there was no man, neither found He any to comfort Him.

Arioso (Tenor): Behold, and see if there be any sorrow like unto His sorrow.

Accompagnato (Tenor): He was cut off out of the land of the living; for the transgression of Thy people was He stricken.

Air (Tenor): But Thou didst not leave His soul in Hell, nor didst Thou suffer Thy Holy One to see corruption.

Air (Soprano): How beautiful are the feet of them that preach the gospel of peace and bring glad tidings of good things.

Air (Bass): Why do the nations so furiously rage together, and why do the people imagine a vain thing? The kings of the earth rise up, and the rulers take counsel together against the Lord, and against His anointed, saying:

Chorus: Let us break their bonds asunder and cast away their yokes from us.

Recitative (Tenor): He that dwelleth in Heaven shall laugh them to scorn: The Lord shall have them in derision.

Air (Tenor): Thou shalt break them with a rod of iron; Thou shalt dash them in pieces like a potter’s vessel.

Chorus: Hallelujah for the Lord God omnipotent reigneth. The kingdom of this world is become the Kingdom of our Lord and of His Christ; and He shall reign for ever and ever. King of Kings, and Lord of Lords, Hallelujah!

PART THREE

Air (Soprano): I know that my Redeemer liveth, and that He shall stand at the latter day upon the earth; and though worms destroy this body, yet in my flesh shall I see God. For now is Christ risen from the dead, the first-fruits of them that sleep.

Chorus: Since by man came death, by man came also the resurrection of the dead. For as in Adam all die, even so in Christ shall all be made alive.

Accompagnato (Bass): Behold, I tell you a mystery: we shall not all sleep, but we shall all be changed in a moment, in the twinkling of an eye, at the last trumpet.

Air (Bass): The trumpet shall sound, and the dead shall be raised incorruptible, and we shall be changed.

Chorus: Worthy is the Lamb that was slain, and hath redeemed us to God by His blood, to receive power, and riches, and wisdom, and strength, and honour, and glory, and blessing. Blessing and honour, glory and pow’r, be unto Him that sitteth upon the throne, and unto the Lamb, for ever and ever.

Chorus: Amen.

— Text from the King James version of the Bible, selected and arranged by Charles Jennens. Carus Edition, Ton Koopman & Jan H. Siemons, editors.

Repertoire

GEORGE FRIDERIC HANDEL

Messiah, HWV 56

Probably Handel’s most famous work, Messiah (1741) is the only composition of its time to be performed continuously since its premiere in Dublin on April 12, 1742. The remarkable frequency of its performance was due in part to the accessibility of the score (which was published in 1767), and its enduring popularity owes much to the unique qualities of its text and the ways Handel set it to music. 

Messiah is an oratorio—a semi-dramatic genre akin to opera but on a religious topic. Like an opera, an oratorio may have a narrative plot with characters, and unfold with operatic elements such as recitatives, arias, and choruses. However, unlike an opera, it’s performed in concert form—that is, without scenery, costumes, and acting (though action would be implied). In Italy during the first half of the 18th century, oratorios were substitutes for opera during Lent, a solemn season during the Christian liturgical calendar when one had to abstain from opera among other worldly activities. Messiah is, notably, a certain kind of concert oratorio that Handel had developed in England, as an alternative to Italian opera, which, by mid-century, was falling out of favour and fashion with audiences there. After its premiere, he introduced Messiah to London theatres beginning in 1743. Initially, the oratorio’s sacred subject appearing in a secular context provoked controversy but later, shifts in circumstance and audience tastes eventually made this a non-issue. In subsequent revivals, Handel always scheduled performances of it at the end of the theatre season, within a couple of weeks before Easter. Today, Messiah is usually performed around Christmas. 

Messiah tells the story of God’s redemption of mankind through Christ the Saviour. Charles Jennens, a friend of the composer’s, created the libretto by selecting and adapting verses from the Old and New Testaments in the Authorized Version of the Bible. The verses are grouped so the drama unfolds in three main parts: Part One presents the prophecies about the Messiah’s coming, and their fulfillment in his birth; Part Two follows the passion story of Christ, his crucifixion, death, and resurrection, the rejection of Christ, and God’s ultimate victory; Part Three is a meditation on what is accomplished through Christ’s victory—the promise of eternal life and triumph over death. While the story has clear religious significance, Jennens avoids a dogmatic interpretation. As a result, Messiah’s narrative, rich in complex human themes and emotions, can be appreciated by anyone, regardless of belief or creed. 

Handel’s Messiah is unique to the oratorio genre because its story is presented, not through the personification of characters, but rather, in a descriptive format by the voices of the four soloists and chorus. The text thus becomes something to be contemplated, enhanced by the composer’s deft use of recitative, aria, and chorus, to infuse variety and drama. In the recitatives, there’s a notable distinction between those accompanied by continuo (i.e. keyboard and cello) versus those accompanied by orchestra (“accompagnato”). While the former serve to introduce new topics, the latter drive the narrative forward in key moments, for example, “And lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them” (Part One), “Thy rebuke hath broken His heart” (Part Two), and “Behold, I tell you a mystery” (Part Three). For the ensuing airs (or arias) during which matters are more deeply reflected upon, Handel uses a mixture of forms. He had originally planned four arias to be set in the elaborate Baroque da capo (ABA) form but only the one for alto, “He was despised”, was not shortened before the first performance. This aria carries deep emotional weight, setting the stage for the dramatic arc of Part Two that ultimately culminates in the glorious “Hallelujah” chorus. 

Regarding the choruses, shifting musical textures—from unison declarations to layered counterpoint to majestic chordal statements—enliven these commentaries to powerful effect. The aforementioned “Hallelujah” chorus is a particularly brilliant example, incorporating monophonic (“King of Kings”), homophonic (the opening “Hallelujah”), and polyphonic (“And he shall reign for ever and ever”) textures. Listen also to how it goes from low and quiet on “The kingdom of this world is become” to suddenly loud on “the Kingdom of the Lord, and of his Christ”, on a similar motif but in a higher register, as if radiant—a musical representation of the transformation described in the text. In the final “Amen” chorus, Handel inventively contrasts homophonic and polyphonic textures as well as vocal and orchestral timbres to bring the oratorio to a magnificent close. 

Program note by Hannah Chan-Hartley, PhD

Artists

  • af2021-sorrell-3-cropped
    Conductor Jeannette Sorrell
  • headlams-800
    Soprano Sonya Headlam
  • Mezzo-soprano Georgia Burashko
  • l.-wiliford-headshot-2
    Tenor Lawrence Wiliford
  • Bass-baritone Kevin Deas
  • cantata-singers-ottawa-m2tcsh7j-400x400-headshot-fb
    Choir Cantata Singers of Ottawa
  • Artistic Director, Cantata Singers of Ottawa Andrew McAnerney
  • 1
    Choir Capital Chamber Choir
  • jamie-loback2
    Artistic Director, Capital Chamber Choir Jamie Loback
  • bio-orchestra
    Featuring NAC Orchestra
  • hunt-mccoy-tobi-fred-cattroll-535
    Stage Manager Tobi Hunt McCoy

Credits

Chorus

Valerie Dueck, Rehearsal Pianist 

Soprano 
Katelyn Adey*
Kristi Aruja+ 
Melanie Aubert+
Sophie Clausius+ 
Bonnie Day+ 
Genny DeMerchant+
Valerie Douglas+ 
Deirdre Garcia+ 
Natasha Harwood+
Victoria Holland+ 
Sharon Keenan+
Talia Kennedy*
Erica Loughlin+
Janessa Mann* 
Katarina Michalyshyn* 
Carmen Nicholson*
Sophia Nickel* 
Nicola Oddy* 
Cathy Patton+
Lily Polowin* 
Kristin Ranshaw+
Valeria Rincon* 
Debbie Smith+
Sheila Stevens+
Kate Stolwyk*
Anna von Holtzendorff+

Alto 
Barbara Ackison+ 
Patricia Bilodeau+ 
Trish Brooks+
Judy-Anne Brush+ 
Vickie Classen Iles+ 
Janet Cover+ 
Mary Gordon+ 
Alison Hamer* 
Olivia Harvey* 
Diana James+ 
Eileen Johnson+ 
Meghan Kitt* 
Grace Mann+ 
Sheri Meyerhoffer+ 
Andi Murphy+ 
Aidan Shenkman* 
Jocelyn Veevers* 

Tenor 
Cameron Aitken* 
Loyal Beggs+ 
Ray Burrage-Goodwin+
Neil Crawford+ 
Richard Fujarczuk+ 
Dorian Gerdes* 
Ross Jewell+ 
Karl Mann+ 
Ian Silk* 
Kelly Symons* 
Max Von Holtz* 

Bass 
Spencer Cripps* 
Kevin Day+ 
Reid Earnshaw* 
Andrew Hodgson+ 
Greg Huyer+ 
Björn Johansson+ 
Christopher Mallory* 
Shawn Mattas* 
J.P. McElhone+ 
Sam Paquette* 
Peter Reilly-Row+ 
Alan Rempel* 
Daniel Savoie+ 
Glen Seeds+ 
Mike Vanier+ 
Paul Whiteley* 
Justin Willette*
John Young+ 
Nicolas Zuluaga* 

+Cantata Singers of Ottawa
*Capital Chamber Choir

NAC Orchestra

First Violins 
Yosuke Kawasaki (concertmaster) 
**Jessica Linnebach (associate concertmaster) 
Noémi Racine Gaudreault (assistant concertmaster) 
Marjolaine Lambert 
Jeremy Mastrangelo 
Manuela Milani 
Emily Westell 
Frédéric Moisan 

Second Violins 
*John Marcus (guest principal) 
Emily Kruspe 
Leah Roseman 
Carissa Klopoushak 
Mark Friedman 
Zhengdong Liang 
Edvard Skerjanc 
Winston Webber 
Karoly Sziladi 

Violas 
**Jethro Marks (principal) 
David Marks (associate principal) 
David Goldblatt (assistant principal) 
Tovin Allers 
Paul Casey 
David Thies-Thompson 

Cellos 
Rachel Mercer (principal) 
**Julia MacLaine (assistant principal) 
Leah Wyber 
Timothy McCoy 
Marc-André Riberdy 

Double Basses 
Max Cardilli (assistant principal) 
Vincent Gendron 
Marjolaine Fournier 

Flutes 
Joanna G’froerer (principal) 
Stephanie Morin 

Oboes 
Charles Hamann (principal) 
Anna Petersen 

English Horn 
Anna Petersen 

Clarinets 
Kimball Sykes (principal) 
Sean Rice 

Bassoons 
Darren Hicks (principal) 
Vincent Parizeau 

Horns
Julie Fauteux (associate principal) 
Lawrence Vine 
Lauren Anker 
Louis-Pierre Bergeron 

Trumpets 
Karen Donnelly (principal) 
Steven van Gulik 

Trombones
Colin Traquair 

Bass Trombone 
Zachary Bond 

Tuba
Chris Lee (principal) 

Timpani 
*Nicholas Stoup (guest principal) 

Percussion
Jonathan Wade 

Harpsichord 
*Mélisande McNabney 

Organ 
*Thomas Annand 

Principal Librarian 
Nancy Elbeck 

Assistant Librarian 
Corey Rempel 

Personnel Manager 
Meiko Lydall 

Orchestra Personnel Coordinator 
Laurie Shannon 

*Additional musicians 
**On leave 

International Alliance of Theatrical Stage Employees