The Unitarian Universalist Congregation at Shelter Rock held its annual “Messiah Sing,” in which its choir, vocal quartet, orchestra and audience perform special selections from George Frederic Handel’s “Messiah” oratio, on Sunday.
The sing-along has occurred since before music director Stephen Michael Smith began his 20-year tenure there, to the extent that nobody quite knows how long it has been around.
“When I came, it wasn’t such a large event, they used to have a couple of the singers involved,” Smith remembers. “We did get the orchestra and choir involved since I’ve been here.”
Authored by the devoutly Christian Handel in the mid-18th century as an Easter piece, “Messiah” depicts the life of Jesus, divided into three sections referred to as “Christmas,” “Passion” and “Resurrection.” In its entirety, the oratio runs just over four hours, but Smith limits the Messiah Sing to the Christmas portion and scattered choices from the second and third sections.
“In terms of the other choruses, I change them every once in a while,” Smith said. “Some of the choruses are less familiar than others, so I mix it up to keep them interesting.”
In addition to the Orchestra at Shelter Rock and the UUCSR Choir, both of which Smith directs, guest musicians provide organ and cello accompaniment. Audience members are also invited to sing, with songbooks being handed out at the door. Smith says that the orchestra and choir rehearse twice, and audience members tend to rehearse as well.
“We provide scores, but some people bring their own,” Smith said. “I’ve received calls from community members in advance wanting to know the selections because they wanted to rehearse themselves.”
The quartet of professional singers who perform solo portions of the piece, however, do not rehearse beforehand. This year, bass Brace Negron, tenor Michael St. Peter and mezzo-soprano Blythe Gaissert returned to UUCSR, and were accompanied by soprano Sarah Molton Faux, who replaced an ill Meagan Brus, also a soprano, at the last minute.
The quick pacing, Smith says, makes the event “very exciting.”
“It’s a particular type of energy that I think people pick up on,” Smith said.
Audience members later came to Smith after the show, asking for next year’s date in order to prepare.
“It’s gratifying to have the community respond,” Smith said.
In his career, Smith has conducted the “Messiah” over 20 times, and he says he never tires of it.
“Part of the energy is that so many people have associations and love the music,” Smith said. “I think people, if they’re not singing, they know it in their heads, even if you’re not a musician, it brings back nostalgia. It’s universal in some ways that other music isn’t.”
