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• 1. At 9:49pm on 06 Sep 2009, chepbourne wrote:

  I'm overawed by the performance by so many of today's young people in Handel's 'Messiah' tonight. Congratulations to them and to all who organised and trained them. I think I would personally single out the young men. They held their own so well, and made the 'Amen', particularly, everything that it should be. I also loved Matthew Rose's bass contribution. As a child, I heard many 'waffly' basses in 'Messiah'. My father played in orchestras for choirs. Matthew delivered all those runs so clearly it was a delight to follow them in the libretto. Thank you for a wonderful experience. The applause echoed my feelings but this is the only way I can contribute.

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• 2. At 10:59pm on 06 Sep 2009, peaceful69 wrote:

  Lovely 'young' sounding choir with the sopranos singing their little hearts out! Reminded me of the 'pure' sound McGegan required from his U.C Berkeley choir. I love this period of music played by our period groups, but like the LSO Messiah there really is something in hearing an 'informed' modern orchestra playing this music. I liked Patricia Bardon as Orlando but I'm sorry - all this vibrato and plumbyness is too much for this part. Her passion and characterisation come across for sure, but at a cost to music. Apart from that minor point it was a very enlightening prom with McGegan (perhaps the best Handelian on the planet right now?!) bringing out some really interesting string bass lines.

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• 3. At 12:33pm on 09 Sep 2009, tomspaul wrote:

  This was magnificent! My sincere thanks to all who must have worked so hard on preparation.
  I have heard so many Messiahs, usually performed by highly competent but mainly middle-aged choral societies. The young voices here brought a new dimension: A lightness of tone which, balanced by their sheer numbers, delivered a result that was powerful and truly beautiful. They were fabulously well rehearsed and sang accurately and enchantingly. I almost cried in the final Amen.
  Soloists were all also good but a special mention must go to Patricia Bardon. I have never heard "He was despised" delivered with such emotion and it was hugely moving. Sorry, peaceful69, but I think it worked brilliantly. Music is about so much more than just the notes and the words.
  A wonderful performance and I feel privileged to have been there. Next to us was an Australian (I think) who said he had travelled 15,000 miles to be there and was convinced that it had been worth the effort. I think he was absolutely right.
  How can we get a recording?
  

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• 4. At 2:30pm on 11 Sep 2009, Hannemac wrote:

  It was the most wonderful concert, very moving. I had tears at the Alleluija. It is worth a trip to London just for a concert in the Royal Albert Hall, if for nothing else. My sincere thanks to all who participated. I am living in France, it was an unforgettable moment, what can I do do download/buy the recording to eternize these incredible precious moments?
  
  Thanks so much.

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• 5. At 10:59am on 12 Sep 2009, richdiscontent wrote:

  I am amazed at this conductor's reputation as a Handel expert. We've heard all the arguments about how Messiah performances have slowed down over the years but to go to the opposite extreme and take it at the pace McGegan did is to rob the piece of any reverence or sincerity. Poor soloists...how on earth could they sing with any sincerity when all their concentration was required to keep up with the ridiculous and wildly fluctuating tempi? The performance just got faster and faster and by Rejoice Greatly the soprano was hurtled along like an out of control car heading for the crash barrier. I would not expect youth choirs to be of professional standards but surely someone at rehearsal could have pointed out that they were consistently out of tune? The tenors were flat from start to finish. Overall this performance was a joke.

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• 6. At 10:23am on 15 Sep 2009, tomspaul wrote:

  Richdiscontent, you have me puzzled. I have read at least half a dozen professional critics' comments on this performance including Guy Dammann in the Guardian, Geoff Brown in The Times and the Telegraph's Ivan Hewett. Not one mentioned anything about flat tenors and in the hall on the night I'm certain that I would have noticed such a thing. I honestly wonder whether it's your hearing..........? Or, if you were listening on Radio 3, your system?
  I wonder, did anyone else hear anything amiss?
  As for tempo, yes it was brisk but it worked.
  As far as I could tell everyone there was thrilled by a simply magical performance and I'm really sorry that you didn't enjoy it.

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