Tryon – Singers of all backgrounds and experience levels have a chance to put their own spin on the famous “Hallelujah” chorus this holiday season.
On Saturday, December 16, Tryon Fine Arts Center is hosting the Do It Yourself (DIY) Messiah. Rehearsal will begin at 1:30 PM. The performance will begin at 3 p.m., with a reception to follow. There is no charge to attend or participate in the DIY Messiah.
Tryon Fine Arts Center will present DIY Messiah under the direction of Brennan Szafron with Elizabeth Child accompanying on piano.
Conductor Brennan Szafron holds organ performance degrees from the University of Alberta, Yale University and the University of Michigan. He serves as the organist and choirmaster at Holy Cross Episcopal Church in Tryon, as well as the principal organist for the Spartanburg Philharmonic Orchestra and an adjunct instructor of organ for Converse University.
Accompanist Elizabeth Child holds degrees from the Juilliard School, the University of Michigan and Converse College. Her teachers include Josef Raieff, Dmitry Paperno, Louis Nagel, Henry Rauch, and Dorothy Taubman. Born in Georgia and currently operating her studio in Tryon, she performs throughout the Southeast.
“DIY Messiah is perfect to do near Christmas because so many people associate the work with the Christmas season,” said Szafron. “The most famous excerpts are mostly part one, the Christmas part. December is really the only time of year I feel when all people across the board enjoy group singing. Maybe it’s the familiarity of Christmas carols.”
DIY Messiah participants will choose their spot as soprano, alto, tenor or bass and sing along with their favorite parts. The performance will be a mix of choruses with the community and pre-selected soloists.
Szafron is prepared to embrace the challenge of conducting a community crowd with an unknown mix of experience levels and abilities.
“First-time attendees can expect a low-key, low-stress atmosphere,” said Szafron. “I have never conducted a DIY Messiah, nor have I ever conducted anything from Messiah without being seated at a keyboard. I love doing new things, and that’s why I’m so excited about the upcoming weekend.”
Scores will be provided, but reading music is not a requirement to participate. Accompanist Elizabeth Child said the mix of musical experience levels is part of the appeal of DIY Messiah.
“For music-lovers who are non-professional to feel part of a great work of art is thrilling,” said Child. “They are actually singing it; they are inside of it! And they don’t have to audition; they don’t have to drive miles to a city to participate—they can sit with their friends and have fun. Handel would just love it because his music and Christmas message live on among ‘ordinary’ people.”
For a community group of music lovers and recreational singers, Child and Szafrom will slow the tempo, or speed, of the music.
“Conductors that have a sense of humor really help the audience relax and not be so nervous. I also sneak in prompts to help the singers find their entrances and pitches. Messiah is difficult to sing!” said Child.
Messiah is an oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frederic Handel. Its “Hallelujah” chorus is one of the most famous examples of Baroque choral music ever written, and is frequently performed at Christmas time by amateur and professional choirs.
Informal performances like DIY Messiah began shortly after the popular work’s debut and have continued for nearly 300 years.
Tryon Fine Arts Center has offered DIY Messiah intermittently for over fifteen years. Popular local musicians, including Jan Impey and Pam McNeill, have led the performances in years past. This will be Child’s fifth time accompanying the event.
“Because I’m playing an orchestral reduction, it is tricky to make it work on piano,” said Child. “I really have to practice—a lot! Due to my Juilliard training, it is easier because there are tricks you learn when playing from an orchestral reduction. In the end, it is a lot of fun for me because the music is just so magnificent.”
All are invited to continue the centuries-old tradition of singing and enjoying Handel’s masterpiece with Tryon Fine Arts Center’s DIY Messiah. Additional information and optional, free registration are available at tryonarts.org.