was with the choir in 1955; he first shared one of their Messiahs on a visit home
in 1978. Welcome re-appearances followed intermittently, and McIntyre still
speaks fondly of his more-than-fifty-year association with the choir, both in and
out of his Messiah appearances.
Another source of supply for Messiah soloists
was Australia, where good singers quickly came
to Auckland’s notice, and a spot of well-informed
pilfering went on from across the Tasman. It
was a way that a succession of astute conductors
had of keeping its Messiah line-ups fresh and
interesting. Probably the most successful cross-
Tasman import was the tenor Ken Cornish who
arrived in Auckland in the mid 1970s and sang
the tenor solo parts off and on for 30 years.
Other ‘returning’ stellar voices include two at
this evening’s performance: Martin Snell (whose
“Trumpet Shall Sound” is featured on the global
YouTube site) and Simon O’Neill, whose Wagner
roles set opera-houses alight everywhere .
A much-quoted programme note by Teresa M.
Neff says “The enduring appeal of the Messiah
lies in the sum of its parts; each solo or chorus is
beautiful on its own, but together the numbers
create a whole that speaks to each individual in
helen gremillion, alto
a unique way.” It’s true: you feel different after
singing (or just listening to) Handel’s Messiah. After singing the Hallelujah
Chorus you feel grandly exhilarated, as though you’ve just discovered and taken
possession of a new and exciting place. In the case of Auckland Choral who
have now sung that chorus for an unbroken Century of Messiahs, they must
feel as though they own the whole world.
And — Hallelujah! —in terms of values and achievements, maybe they do.
When I was 16 years old and living
in Houston, Tx., I became the
youngest member of the Houston
Symphony Chorale. This choir
performed the Messiah every year
too, just like Auckland Choral
does. So Auckland Choral’s annual
Messiah sing has a very special
place in my heart. It’s amazing to
me that this piece is so well-loved it
is still sung today, so frequently, in
so many parts of the world!