Ivars Taurins as Herr Handel. Photo by Johnnie Eisen and courtesy of Tafelmusik.
The world is a funny place, and this year I found myself in the position where I was the one ordering those same posters for Tafelmusik, and negotiating the signage for the subway ad campaign as Tafelmusik’s Marketing Coordinator. From the day I started working here I’ve been Messiah crazed, in fact, coordinating the advertising campaign for a Toronto tradition that I have yet to see!
Tafelmusik’s Messiah concerts and Sing-Along Messiah are the heart of Tafelmusik’s Toronto performance season. We have an audience of dedicated Sing-Alongers who have been coming annually for as many as eighteen years. These dedicated followers stand in line outside Massey Hall in the cold, sometimes for hours, to ensure that they get the seats they want with their friends and family. We handed out flyers recently at Union Station, and had people thank us for reminding them to buy a ticket. That’s what really convinced me there has to be something magical about this – being thanked for a flyer!
I had the pleasure of escorting Tafelmusik Chamber Choir Director Ivars Taurins to the radio station to record the on-air advertising for the Sing-Along. He slipped into the Maestro Handel character like he was meeting an old friend, with the ease and familiarity that only comes from years of shared history. All of the staff are alight with anticipation, and everyone has a story about “one time at Sing-Along….” One of our dynamic box office duo even has an annual Messiah party!
Most people who come to the concert already know what to expect, but first-timers like me need to know that seating is by general admission, and divided into voice parts: soprano, alto, tenor, and bass. (I’ve been told that there are always too many sopranos and not enough tenors.) You’ll need a score with which to sing along, which you can buy at Massey Hall on December 20, but if you aren’t a singer don’t fret – you don’t have to sing if you don’t want to! Also, the performance is of an abridged Messiah, one with all the best parts and in which the audience sings all the choruses. If you want to delve even deeper into the wonderful world of the Sing-Along Messiah, here are ten tips for enjoying the show.
This week I’ll hear the choir and orchestra in rehearsal, and hear first hand the music that brings 2,700 voices together each year to rejoice. And on the big day I’ll be there at Massey Hall, in a Santa hat handing out candy-canes, sharing in the excitement of the line-up and audience. And, finally, I’ll understand what the Sing-Along Messiah is really all about!
Laura Hagglund is the Marketing Coordinator of Tafelmusik.
Comments on this entry are closed.