in 1742, the masterpiece oratorio, Messiah, written by George Frederic Handel and Charles Jennens, was debuted in Dublin, Ireland. It is comprised of three lengthy parts: the birth, the passion, and the aftermath. Messiah is time honored, performed around the world at all times of the year. In fact it is considered to be the worlds most famous oratorio! For this reason alone, it is no surprise that Dani Davis, and Jason Howland collaborated to create Handel's Messiah Rocks, a 90 minute contemporary interpretation of the original oratorio.
Messiah Rocks hits home for us in Lowell! 23 students from the UML University choir were recorded/filmed for its release at the Cutler Majestic Theater in Boston.
Featured soloists were the beautiful Lachenze (soprano), MiG Ayesa (tenor), and J. Robert Spencer (baritone). It was conducted
by Keith Lockhart of the Boston Pops Orchestra.
It gives audiences who are both new and familiar with Messiah a whole new perspective on the music, combining the traditional orchestration of Handel's era with our modern rock traditions, and spitting out choruses that are charged with emotion. Davis and Howland have certainly breathed new life into this piece. Looking beyond the connotations of religion, and classical music, it is an oratorio that makes us question our love for each other and the world around us.
Click Here for more information about the cd/dvd release.
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