Handel's Messiah oratorio has had a reputation as a "peoples' work" for centuries, thanks to frequent performances, singable melodies, a famous "Hallelujah!" chorus, and, in recent decades, the rise of audience-participation concerts.
First Congregational Church of Kalamazoo, partnering with the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music, will host the annual 'Messiah Sing.' It encourages all attendees to borrow the score at the door and sing along with a professional orchestra and soloists.
Cara Lieurance talks to music director Michael Palmer and Elizabeth Start, director of the Michigan Festival of Sacred Music, about the event. It changes every year, says Michael Palmer. This year, audiences can expect a kind of "concert in the round" experience.
