by Michael LelloWeekender Editor
For nearly 300 years, the triumphant “Hallelujah” chorus has rung out in churches and theaters this time of year. In fact, the section of George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” is so powerful, it brought monarchs to their feet, with legend holding that King George II rose from his seat, with the audience following suit.
“Messiah,” which covers the story of Jesus Christ from the prophesies of his birth until the end times reported in the Book of Revelations, will get a unique treatment in our area when the Choral Arts of Luzerne County presents “Scenes from Handel’s Messiah.” On Friday, Dec. 11, a 55-person chorus, 21-piece orchestra and narrator, all under the direction of John Curtis, will present the program at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Wilkes-Barre.
Curtis, who is a professor and director of choral activities at Misericordia University, where he oversees the school’s music, dance, and theater programs, has an idea of why “Messiah” has remained so popular for centuries.
“There is just something about this music that speaks to people,” he says. “It has such a variety of emotions in it. There is peacefulness, there is jubilation, like in the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus, and even anger and violence in some of the movements. It goes from sad, minor keys to ecstatic, happy, majestic keys. And as you sit through a performance, you go through that range of emotions.”
The use of a narrator is “as far as I know, something that has never been done,” Curtis says.
“The reason I’m doing that is I want people to do more than enjoy the music,” he explains. “I want them to enjoy the story that Handel is trying to tell.”
Rev. Bill Kennard, a local retired Methodist minister, will narrate.
“Before he was a minister, he worked in radio, so he has this beautiful, resonant voice,” says Curtis, adding that when he decided to use a narrator, he immediately thought of Rev. Kennard.
The vocal soloists for Friday’s presentation are all professional singers: Curtis’ wife Judy Ann Curtis, Ellen Rutkowski, Patrick Poole and Kevin Grace.
Rutkowski, Curtis notes, has been singing professionally for many years and has taught at Wilkes University and Luzerne County Community College. Poole, originally from Pottsville, lives in New York City and sings with the New York City Opera.
While choosing talented performers was important, Curtis notes that getting the chorus, soloists, orchestra and narrator to blend was just as vital.
“It is challenging,” Curtis says with a laugh. “You bet it is. Learning the music is only half the battle.”
It’s interesting to note that when “Messiah” debuted in 1742 in Dublin, it was not considered a religious piece, despite the fact that the story is adapted entirely from the Bible. At that time, church life was so engrained in daily life, there was nothing out of the ordinary about a piece of music or theater built directly on biblical themes. Conceived as a secular piece and originally performed during Lent, since Handel’s death it has become common to stage “Messiah” during Advent, the pre-Christmas period, often in churches.
“It’s absolutely a religious piece (now),” says Curtis. “We’ve come a long way from how Handel’s audience perceived it. It was not performed in churches. For us today, it was like going to a Broadway show or the opera. That’s what you did back in the 18th century. It was the entertainment of the day. … In England and Ireland, at that time they didn’t have separation of church and state.”
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