Handel S Messiah

The Annapolis Chorale's annual presentation of George Frederic Handel's Messiah -- which, in the words of director J. Ernest Green, so beautifully "embodies in every note the power, majesty and mystery of faith" -- usually fills St. Anne's Episcopal Church to capacity. It did so again last Friday evening. To provide a moving religious experience, Handel's work requires soloists who are vocal virtuosi, a chorus that can articulate the message of hope and fulfillment with sensitivity and feeling, and an orchestra that supports them while majestically propelling the anthem forward.

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The time has come to take a break from the frenzy of holiday shopping and enjoy Columbia Pro Cantare's annual performance of Handel's Messiah at 7:30 p.m. Sunday at the Jim Rouse Theatre. Even if you have been before, it's worth going again. Director Frances Motyca Dawson urges residents to "unplug digital devices and background music, and come be a part of the retelling of the Christmas story. There's no substitute for showing up for a performance; you become part of this epic story." Pro Cantare's 115 choral singers, chamber orchestra, and soloists soprano Amy van Roekel, mezzo-soprano Deborah Domanski, tenor Mark Schowalter and baritone Lester Lynch all join forces for the performance of Handel's popular oratorio.

It's hard to imagine Christmastime without Handel's Messiah. Never mind that the composer wrote it for the Lenten season or that only one-third of the score is directly related to Christmas. The piece is as much a part of the holidays as "Silent Night." And the music is pretty much indestructible. From its more or less humble origins in 1742, when it was premiered with a modest-sized chorus and orchestra, Messiah has survived major expansion (Victorians loved hearing it super-sized), both glacial and breathless tempos, operatic stuffiness and various other questionable stylistic approaches.

With new guidance on the podium and the unmistakable sound of new potential in the air, the Handel Choir of Baltimore opened its 70th season over the weekend, presenting portions of two holiday classics. The crowd that turned out Sunday afternoon at Goucher College's Kraushaar Auditorium found a lean ensemble onstage - 40 singers, a third fewer than in recent years. The back-up for the chorus was likewise lean - an orchestra of about 20 baroque-style instruments, which produce a softer-edged tone than modern counterparts.

Since its premiere 262 years ago, Handel's Messiah has gone from an Easter piece to a predominantly Christmas one. Just about any number of singers and instrumentalists has had a go at the score, from the intimate scale the composer would have known to the gargantuan level the Victorians adored. Preferences in tempos have gone from brisk to glacial and back to brisk. Tastes in solo vocal lines have gone from freely ornamented to only what's written and back to freely ornamented. Conductor Edward Polochick has honed his distinctive approach to the piece over the years that combines some of the most effective - and most out-there - interpretive choices.

The waning days of the year remain packed with holiday-theme programs - more on them in a moment - but don't overlook something completely different. You'll find it at the University of Maryland, Baltimore County, where the music department can be counted on to provide regular bursts of contemporary action. UMBC's Faculty Recital Series offers a major work this week by groundbreaking American composer George Crumb, who has written some of the most challenging - and rewarding - works for performances and listeners alike.

This month J. Ernest Green and his Annapolis Chorale have been busy music makers - a midmonth pops concert at Maryland Hall for the Creative Arts, a Youth Chorus concert at St. Anne's Episcopal Church, caroling by chorale members in downtown Annapolis, several performances at retirement communities, and a benefit concert for Beans and Bread in Baltimore. And last weekend, the chorale was back at St. Anne's with two performances of Handel's Messiah - its complete form Saturday and an abbreviated version with Christmas carols Sunday.