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Handel's Messiah 2018

COVENANT U.M. CHURCH CHANCEL CHOIR

Sunday, December16th 8:30 & 10 AM Services

What a better way is there to celebrate the holidays than by singing to the sacred choral work that has won the hearts of audiences and performers like no other: Handel’s “Messiah”. Please check the rehearsal schedule below. You can find all of the music and practice files here. Are you new to Covenant or to choir? You are most definitely welcome to join us! Come to the next rehearsal or contact Kathy Herman at kathyah827@gmail.com .

The Christmas portion, and the Hallelujah Chorus, with chamber orchestra, will be presented by the music ministry of Covenant UM Church on Sunday, Dec. 16 at the 8:30 am and 10:00 am services. Handel's “Messiah” has been a tradition for many generations – Handel’s masterful music continues to inspire concert-goers young and old. For many people, Handel’s “Messiah” is the sound of Christmas, so this will be just the thing to get you in the right frame of mind for the holidays.

REHEARSAL SCHEDULE

*Please note that there will be no rehearsal on Wednesday night, Nov. 21st.

Oct 24: 7:30- 8:10 PM (in the sanctuary) Rehearsal notes here

And the Glory
Glory to God
For Unto Us melismas

Oct 31: 7:30- 8:10 PM Rehearsal notes here

For Unto Us a Child is Born
And the Glory
Glory to God

Nov 7: 7:30- 8:10 PM Rehearsal notes here

His Yoke is Easy
Begin O Thou That Tellest
For Unto Us

Nov 14: 7:30 - 8:30 PM***

His Yoke is Easy
O Thou That Tellest
Glory to God

Nov 21: No rehearsal (Thanksgiving Eve)

Nov 28: 7:30- 8:30 PM***

Hallelujah, Review sections of His Yoke, O Thou that Tellest, For Unto Us.

Dec 5- 7:30 - 8:30***

Dec 8 (Sat) 9:00- 1015 AM- Review all choruses.

Dec 12 (Wed) 7:30 - 9 PM- Rehearsal with orchestra in the sanctuary.

Downbeat 7:30 PM sharp.

Dec 15 (Sat) - 9:00- 10:15 AM- Run through all choruses, clean up as needed

Dec 16 (Sun)- Performances at 8:30 and 10:00 services. Call time bright and early at 8:05 AM!

Messiah Rehearsal Files

You will need your score.

And the Glory	Sop	Alto	Ten	Bass	Balanced Voices	Performance
And He Shall Purify	Sop	Alto	Ten	Bass	Balanced Voices	Performance
O Thou That Tellest	Sop	Alto	Ten	Bass	Balanced Voices	Performance
For Unto Us a Child	Sop	Alto	Ten	Bass	Balanced Voices	Slower Tempo Performance Faster Tempo Performance
Glory to God	Sop	Alto	Ten	Bass	Balanced Voices	Performance (preceded by recitativos)
His Yoke is Easy	Sop	Alto	Ten	Bass	Balanced Voices	Performance
Hallelujah	Sop	Alto	Ten	Bass	Balanced Voices	Performance

Left your score at church and need to practice? The score for Handel's Messiah can be found here. There are 168 pages in this score, but the choruses we are singing are on pgs. 1-7, 18-55, and 128-139. We are not singing "And He Shall Purify". Please review and learn the choruses by using the practice links at home.

Vocal Gymnastics: For Unto Us a Child is Born

(otherwise known as a melisma, a group of notes on one syllable)

Need help with the melisma in "For Unto Us a Child is Born"? See links below for some practice technique. You can practice the melisma on a light "doh" or as we rehearsed it: sing every 4 notes, then, 2 notes, and finally, all notes.

Click your part below to practice PART PREDOMINANT recordings for each voice part of For Unto Us: The recording full track, the study part, and a slow version of the study part is below. Work on the slow study part first before working on the entire piece.

SOPRANO

SLOW STUDY SPOT mm. 13-18

STUDY SPOT mm. 13-18

ENTIRE PIECE, voice part predominant

ALTO

SLOW STUDY SPOT mm. 56-61

STUDY SPOT mm. 56- 61

ENTIRE PIECE, voice part predominant

TENOR

SLOW STUDY SPOT mm. 38-41

STUDY SPOT mm. 38-41

ENTIRE PIECE, voice part predominant

BASS

SLOW STUDY PART mm. 19-24

STUDY PART mm. 19-24

ENTIRE PIECE, voice part predominant

Tenors: We will use the Schirmer edition for measure 26 on "For Unto Us a Child is Born". Please make this correction in your book.

Below you will find the running order of what we are singing and where we will be sitting and standing.

Please mark your scores, and paper clip only the movements which you are singing.

RUNNING ORDER

(Choruses are in bold type)

Piece	Forces	Notes
1. Sinfonia	Orchestra	Paper clip together the Sinfonia & #1, #2, #3
2-3. Comfort ye /Ev’ry valley	Tenor solo
4. And the glory of the Lord (bars 1-138)	Chorus	STAND as music starts, remain standing at end
5,6	Alto solo	Paper clip pages of mmts. #5-#9 meas. 101 (The glory of the Lord)
7. (Cut)
8. (Cut)
9. O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion (chorus bars 107-150)	Alto solo, then chorus	STAND bar 101 on the downbeat of GLO-ry (6 bars before 1^st chorus entry) SIT bar 143 (5th bar after finishing singing). Turn page early, if applicable, for 1^st entry at end of bar 106
10-11. For behold/The people that walked	Bass solo	Paper clip together #10 & #11
12. For unto us a child is born (bars 1-99)	Chorus	STAND as music starts SIT at end as orchestra finishes
13. Pifa (Pastoral Symphony)	Orchestra	Paper clip together pages of mmts. #13, #14 & #15
14-15. There were shepherds/And lo/And the angel	Soprano solo
16. And suddenly there was with the angel	Soprano solo	STAND at beginning of intro to recit
17. Glory to God (bars 1-49)	Chorus	SIT at end on conductor’s cue
18. Rejoice greatly	Soprano solo	Paperclip together #18 & #19 & #20 to meas. 53 of #20.
(19 CUT)
20. He shall feed his flock (version II)	Alto & soprano solo	STAND bar 53 (4 bars from the end)
21. His yoke is easy	Chorus
44. Hallelujah	Chorus

Additional Practice Resources You May Find Helpful

Provided below are choraline video rehearsal demos with real singers (from YouTube) of the first 5 choruses for each part, as offered by Choraline. Included are:

#4, And the Glory

#7. And He Shall Purify

#9, And Thou That Tellest

#12, For Unto Us

#17 Glory to God

(We are not singing And He Shall Purify. In addition, we will be singing # 21, His Yoke is Easy; #44, Hallelujah)

Soprano

Alto

Tenor

Bass