Handel’s Messiah: Reflections from the Choir on a Timeless Holiday Tradition
In the performance calendar of any professional singer, December looms as a mixed blessing. It will be our busiest month by some measure as we often dash between cities, venues, and organizations to participate in various concerts. While we don’t typically have as much downtime to celebrate the season with mulled wine and figgy pudding as we might like, there are other delights that more than offset any “fa la la”-related fatigue.
Handel’s oratorio, Messiah, first performed in April 1742, is a delight for listeners and performers alike and stands as the pinnacle of holiday music. For singers, this piece holds an almost mythic place in the repertoire, even acting as a sort of currency for bragging rights as singers keep track of their total number of performances (which is 36 for me if you must know). The enduring popularity of this work owes to Handel’s mastery of the craft of musical drama, both in opera and oratorio. Compared to the number of arias and recitatives, there are far more choruses in this oratorio than in the composer’s other works. Handel breaks the mold by allowing the choir a more active role in the storytelling rather than simply reflecting on the story as is typical for a chorus in Greek drama and Baroque musical drama. For musicians, performing this beloved work involves the perfect blend of artistic challenge, masterful storytelling, holiday nostalgia, and reunion with beloved colleagues.
During the holidays, audiences are emotionally charged in a way that is visually and audibly clear to performers on stage, and that generally translates to a deeper connection between the stage and the audience, and a more profound journey for both parties. This year’s Messiah performance with PBO is a special one, because it will be our first under the direction of recently appointed artistic director Julian Perkins. Although Julian is well into his second season with the organization, the significance of this piece makes it feel more like we’re finally bringing him home to meet the extended family. I’m excited to be a part of PBO’s next chapter as a singer, a board member, and a fervent advocate for Baroque music within the fabric of Portland’s music scene.
About John K. Cox: Conductor, tenor, and musicologist John K. Cox is a Visiting Professor of Music at Lewis and Clark College. A specialist in Renaissance and Baroque performance practice and advocate for forgotten repertories, Dr. Cox’s recent scholarship focuses on Italian sacred music from the late-seventeenth century. His editions have been recorded by Skylark Ensemble and performed by professional and amateur choral groups across the country. In November, John received his fourth GRAMMY nomination in the category of “Best Choral Performance” (2024, 2022, 2021, 2019) as a member of the New York-based Skylark Ensemble. He has been a board member of PBO since 2018.