Have you ever listened to all of Handel's Messiah?

DainBramaged

Lifer
Jun 19, 2003
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Personally, I find it a very relaxing piece to listen to all the way through. Especially before the holidays. I'll make a few of my favorite hot beverages and listen to it all the way through. Pure bliss. :cool:
 

compuwiz1

Admin Emeritus Elite Member
Oct 9, 1999
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Originally posted by: DainBramaged
Personally, I find it a very relaxing piece to listen to all the way through. Especially before the holidays. I'll make a few of my favorite hot beverages and listen to it all the way through. Pure bliss. :cool:


WTF, I thought you were away shooting taliban towel headed motherfuckers! :shocked:
 

Geekbabe

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Oct 16, 1999
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Originally posted by: DainBramaged
Personally, I find it a very relaxing piece to listen to all the way through. Especially before the holidays. I'll make a few of my favorite hot beverages and listen to it all the way through. Pure bliss. :cool:

YES!!!!!!! It used to be an xmas tradition for me!
 

ryan256

Platinum Member
Jul 22, 2005
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Originally posted by: DainBramaged
Personally, I find it a very relaxing piece to listen to all the way through. Especially before the holidays. I'll make a few of my favorite hot beverages and listen to it all the way through. Pure bliss. :cool:

I have not only listened to it, I can sing most of it.
 
L

Lola

Yes, I love it. A tradition for me.
I also love Handel's Young Messiah. A bit different, yet very spiritual.
 

JulesMaximus

No Lifer
Jul 3, 2003
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Yes, I also like Tchaikovsky's - The Nutcracker around the holidays. Classic pieces. :thumbsup:

Even though I'm not religious I do love this time of year and the spiritual aspect of the Christmas Holiday.
 

JEDIYoda

Lifer
Jul 13, 2005
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Originally posted by: ryan256
Originally posted by: DainBramaged
Personally, I find it a very relaxing piece to listen to all the way through. Especially before the holidays. I'll make a few of my favorite hot beverages and listen to it all the way through. Pure bliss. :cool:

I have not only listened to it, I can sing most of it.

rofl....
I am singing all the male solo`s both Tenor and Bass from memory 3 times this Chrisatmas Season in various venues in the San Francisco bay area!!
 

Chryso

Diamond Member
Nov 23, 2004
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I don't often listen to all of it but the Hallelujah Chorus is one of my favorites.
I can sing the bass part.
 

mordantmonkey

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Dec 23, 2004
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yeah it is a really great piece of music. i've played it and gotten paid...
god bless churches.
funny thing for an atheist to say.
 

Steve

Lifer
May 2, 2004
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I've sung the whole first part, listened to and sung some of the second part. Maybe heard a song or two from the third part once or twice.

The whole thing is a bit too long for my tastes (around 3 hours depending on tempo). The first part is good for Christmas, the second for Easter.

In Chicago there are several Messiah singalongs around the Christmas holidays where people can come in and sit in the bass section, tenor section, etc. and sing what they know. The soloists are arranged ahead of time though. Not sure if they do the whole thing or just the first part.

Dain, if you want to listen to a nice piece of choral music, try Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem, a.k.a. "Brahms' Requiem"). My favorite all-time song is the fourth movement, Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen (How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place), which is linked in my sig. Sometimes makes me tear up and my hair stand on end right at the climax of the song - you'll know it when you hear it.

Gotta say, even if religion isn't everyone's cuppa tea, it sure has inspired some of the greatest music ever.
 

SaltBoy

Diamond Member
Aug 13, 2001
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I was in the Houston Symphony Chorus when it was performed. We didn't do the WHOLE thing because there are many alternate versions of several of the pieces. But yeah, we did the gist of everything. :)
 

oboeguy

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Dec 7, 1999
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I'm sick of hearing that "classical" music is "relaxing". Yeah, the "Messiah" is oh so relaxing. Not. Some parts of it sure, but others are dark, mysterious, joyful, exciting, etc.

Oh and FTR, yes I've "listened" to "all" of it (nobody really does it all in one shot -- many alternatives, etc in the score) if you count playing in the orchestra and/or singing in the chorus. I've done it all except conduct it, hehe. Never get tired of it. "I know that my redeemer liveth", pure brain candy. "All we like sheep" is hilarious if the pick-up note for "all" is really short: sounds like "WE LIKE SHEEP". :D Never a dull moment in the "Messiah".
 

runzwithsizorz

Diamond Member
Jan 24, 2002
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In San Diego, there is a large outdoor pipe organ, heard it there once at a night concert. Certain pieces of music are really great on a pipe organ, Requiem for the mass's by Mozart comes to mind.
 

SaltBoy

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Aug 13, 2001
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Originally posted by: oboeguy
"All we like sheep" is hilarious if the pick-up note for "all" is really short: sounds like "WE LIKE SHEEP". :D Never a dull moment in the "Messiah".

Typical rehearsal line: Oh, we like sheep!!! (Baaaa!) :)

 

ryan256

Platinum Member
Jul 22, 2005
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Originally posted by: Steve
Dain, if you want to listen to a nice piece of choral music, try Brahms' Ein Deutsches Requiem (A German Requiem, a.k.a. "Brahms' Requiem"). My favorite all-time song is the fourth movement, Wie lieblich sind deine Wohnungen (How Lovely Is Thy Dwelling Place), which is linked in my sig. Sometimes makes me tear up and my hair stand on end right at the climax of the song - you'll know it when you hear it.

ooohh... very nice. I love polyphonic pieces like that.
You'll probably like this one too, Crucifixus. It was done by the Allstate chorus I participated in my senior year. 600 high school seniors & juniors who had some great voices. 8 part polyphonic and minor keyed. The recording is not very good but I cleaned it up the best I could.
 

Geekbabe

Moderator Emeritus<br>Elite Member
Oct 16, 1999
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Originally posted by: ryan256
Originally posted by: DainBramaged
Personally, I find it a very relaxing piece to listen to all the way through. Especially before the holidays. I'll make a few of my favorite hot beverages and listen to it all the way through. Pure bliss. :cool:

I have not only listened to it, I can sing most of it.

now that is cool!!! do a video and post it on youtube!!!
 

Squisher

Lifer
Aug 17, 2000
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Originally posted by: ryan256
Originally posted by: DainBramaged
Personally, I find it a very relaxing piece to listen to all the way through. Especially before the holidays. I'll make a few of my favorite hot beverages and listen to it all the way through. Pure bliss. :cool:

I have not only listened to it, I can sing most of it.

ryan256=Paul Potts?
 

Steve

Lifer
May 2, 2004
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Originally posted by: Geekbabe
Originally posted by: ryan256
Originally posted by: DainBramaged
Personally, I find it a very relaxing piece to listen to all the way through. Especially before the holidays. I'll make a few of my favorite hot beverages and listen to it all the way through. Pure bliss. :cool:

I have not only listened to it, I can sing most of it.

now that is cool!!! do a video and post it on youtube!!!

It really helps to have the other three voices with you.
 

ryan256

Platinum Member
Jul 22, 2005
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Originally posted by: Squisher
Originally posted by: ryan256
I have not only listened to it, I can sing most of it.

ryan256=Paul Potts?

HA! I wish! I'm not nearly as good as him. Besides, he's British. I'm not :p

Originally posted by: Steve
It really helps to have the other three voices with you.

Yeah... by itself each part isn't really anything special.
 

MrToilet

Senior member
Feb 28, 2005
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I had to play all the piano parts for rehearsals during college, my school did the Messiah every year during Christmas season, with student soloists and a 500-700 voice choir. Pretty cool, but I got really sick of sitting at the piano...

Singing the Messiah is a pretty cool experience, though, especially with 500 other people singing.