This coming Friday night, I’ll be accompanying the Iolani School Chorus and Hokulea Singers in their spring concert under director John Alexander. The opening work is the famous “Hallelujah” Chorus by George Frideric Handel, which you’re more likely to hear at Christmas rather than in Eastertide.

I recommend you read “The Glorious History of Handel’s Messiah,” an article by Jonathan Kandell in the Smithsonian Magazine, in which the author writes that Messiah was conceived as an Easter piece, with its debut performance on April 13, 1742 in Dublin at the Musick Hall. Kandell writes:

There were several reasons for the choice of Dublin for Messiah‘s debut. Handel had been downcast by the apathetic reception that London audiences had given his works the previous season. He did not want to risk another critical failure, especially with such an unorthodox piece. Other Handel oratorios had strong plots anchored by dramatic confrontations between leading characters. But Messiah offered the loosest of narratives: the first part prophesied the birth of Jesus Christ; the second exalted his sacrifice for humankind; and the final section heralded his Resurrection.

Dublin was one of the fastest-growing, most prosperous cities in Europe, with a wealthy elite eager to display its sophistication and the economic clout to stage a major cultural event. “So it was a great advantage for Handel to make the voyage to Dublin to try out his new work, and then bring it back to London,” says Keates, comparing the composer to Broadway producers who tried out plays in New Haven before staging them in New York City.

Read more: https://www.smithsonianmag.com/arts-culture/the-glorious-history-of-handels-messiah-148168540/#mcwQKLw1r7BLFfB5.99
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“The feelings of joy you get from the Hallelujah choruses are second to none,” says conductor Cummings.

You may remember a few years ago when the Hawaii Masterworks Chorus toured Ireland, our concert was at St. Patrick’s Cathedral. Apparently several choristers in the St. Patrick’s Cathedral sang in the debut of Messiah and the church even had the original tenor’s part under protective glass. See my post, “The view from the organ loft,” to read about my memories of our visit there.

On Friday’s Iolani Chorus concert at St. Andrew’s Cathedral, I’ll also be accompanying Gabriel Fauré’s Cantique de Jean Racine, Lacrimosa by Alexandra Grill (premiere), and an arrangement of the Japanese folk song, Sakura (The Cherry Blossom Song) by Christopher Matthews.

I’ll find out soon enough on whether I will be able to use the celesta stop on the Aeolian-Skinner organ for this piece!