Word: chorus
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...runs through December 14 at Boston's Shubert Theatre, and will feature Dominique Labelle, David Walker, Ray Bauwens and Eric Owens, though the December 6 performance was held in Symphony Hall and featured counter-tenor Steven Rickards insteaof David Walker. Associate Conductor John Finney leads H&H's marvelous chorus and period orchestra. Despite the press of weekend afternoons during the holiday season, Sunday's matinee performance was packed, with not an empty seat visible. The audience was richly rewarded for their time and responded with a thunderous, almost raucous standing ovation after the final "Amen...
...some of the loveliest music in Messiah, and Bauwens proves himself wholly equal to it. His Part II recitatives, "All they that see Him laugh Him to scorn" and "Thy rebuke hath broken His heart," separated by the magnificent "He trusted in God that He would deliver Him" chorus, comprise a truly splendid few minutes. In contrast to Bauwens' clear, smooth timbre is the bass, Eric Owens, whose very deep, very dark-sounding voice seems almost to emerge from some inhuman source. This rumbling, rapid-vibratoed effect seems especially apt in the prophetic aria, "Darkness shall cover the earth...
...excellent chorus produces, as always, a wonderfully clear and unified sound, free of any imbalance between the various parts. Their synchrony is especially evident in the excellent consonant enunciation, particularly the many initial and final sibilants, which are perfectly coordinated and lightly treated. "And with his stripes we are healed," is a particularly fine example of the following lyricism the choir achieves throughout; "Surely he hath borne our griefs," against the gorgeous background of the orchestral part, is another. Remarkable, too, is the ending of "All we like sheep," which runs "And the Lord hath laid on him the iniquity...
...truth, every moment of the performance brings the audience such joy that it is difficult indeed to remain demurely seated and silent. Not only is each element--soloists, chorus, orchestra--magnificent in itself, but all are expertly balanced and coordinated by Finney's direction, producing in totality a truly memorable Messiah. Anyone who's ever heard Messiah, or indeed anyone who hasn't, should attend this production to experience it as Handel might have imagined and hoped it should...
Although they have small roles, the First Guard (Robert Ross), the Second Guard (Dmetrius Conley-Williams), and the silent chorus of Pentheus's guards are also extremely talented. The speaking guards manage to be appropriately funny at otherwise tense moments, while still remaining in awe of the power surrounding them. But the most easily overlooked group of people on-stage, and the ones who deserve the most kudos, are the Chorus. Resembling the love children of Raggedy Anne and Courtney Love, replete with magenta dreads and combat boots, they prove to be an excellent addition overall. The dancing, chanting women...