The Oklahoman

Review: Soloists shine in ‘Messiah' presentation

Much like the opening to Beethoven's "Symphony No. 5" or the galloping theme from Rossini's "William Tell Overture," the "Hallelujah Chorus" from Handel's "Messiah" qualifies as one of the most recognizable pieces of music. But there's much more to "Messiah" than the four-minute chorus that routinely beckons an audience to its feet.

The complete "Messiah" clocks in around 2.5 hours, but that includes both Christmas and Easter portions of Handel's celebrated oratorio. Canterbury Choral Society presented the Christmas portion Sunday in a program that featured four soloists and members of the Oklahoma City Philharmonic. Canterbury music director Randi Von Ellefson conducted.

Despite its popularity among choral groups worldwide and the frequency with which it is performed, "Messiah" can go wrong in so many ways: stodgy tempos, faulty ensemble, rhythmic irregularities, mediocre soloists and lack of attention to diction. Happily, Canterbury's fine performance avoided virtually all of those traps.

One of the major challenges choral directors face in programming "Messiah" is finding four compatible soloists. Aside from the occasional moment when projection was a problem, soprano Rebecca Lloyd, alto Rebekah Ambrosini, tenor Andrew Ranson and bass Mark McCrory handled their duties with intelligence and flair.

Among the standouts were Ranson's "Every valley shall be exalted," Ambrosini's joyful "O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion," Lloyd's "Rejoice greatly" and McCrory's "The trumpet shall sound." What made their contributions memorable was the distinctiveness of their vocal timbres: Lloyd's supple soprano, Ambrosini's burnished alto, Ranson's clear tenor and McCrory's dark but focused bass.

"Messiah" offers the chorus ample opportunity to display its talents, as well, most notably in the familiar "And the glory of the Lord," the lilting "For unto us a child is born," the powerful "His yoke is easy" and "Lift up your heads," the latter a fine prelude to the joyous strains of "Hallelujah."

Ellefson's tempos were well judged throughout, from moderate andantes to crisp allegros. The chorus responded with alertness and confidence, traits that aren't always apparent with this ensemble.

Handel scored many passages for the four principal string players who frequently function as a string quartet. In this performance, the concertmaster seemed intent on pushing the brisk tempos even faster and delivering passages that occasionally sounded coarse. In such instances, he stood apart from the texture instead of blending in.

"Messiah" also has its share of thrilling passages for the solo trumpet, the best example of which occurs in the "Hallelujah Chorus." Here, and especially in the aptly-named "The trumpet shall sound," principal trumpet Karl Sievers' contributions were exemplary. Peggy Payne's harpsichord expertise also provided a solid foundation throughout.

Canterbury executive director Kay Edde Holt said during her pre-concert remarks that this performance of "Messiah" was a gift to the community. For its sheer dramatic power, the beauty of its poignant moments and the powerful declamations by chorus and orchestra, I can't imagine a more suitable gift.

— Rick Rogers