Letters
Knit to This: A Giant Piece of Certifiably Great Music
Dear Ann,
In these first quiet days of a brand-new year, I’m listening to two certifiably great long classical pieces. The first, up top, is the Netherlands Bach Society performing J.S. Bach’s Mass in B Minor. This is a perfect recording of a group of performers who are in complete communion. They play on Baroque instruments, with the tunings of the day—it’s aural time travel. As one commenter said, “How is this free?” The video is part of Netherlands Bach Society’s All of Bach project, a tremendous gift to the world.
For something possibly even more seasonal, I’m also listening to Handel’s Messiah. If you’ve never sung this piece, or at least the Hallelujah chorus, adding your little voice to the wall of sound of a big choral group, put that on your bucket list. It’s thrilling no matter how many times you’ve heard it or sung it. As soon as Covid is over, go to a Messiah singalong. Lincoln Center does a nice one, but they are all over. Afterwards, the audience walks out together, high on brotherhood and bonhomie. It will feel really good when we can do things like that again.
Here’s a very fine Messiah on YouTube.
And good news: Tafelmusik has extended their fantastic Singalong Messiah through January 4, so if you’re quick about it, you can join me in shrieking my little heart out.
Here’s the sheet music for the choruses. C’mon altos! We got this!
Happy first weekend of the year to all.
Love,
Kay
All of Bach- What a gift!
New subscriber! So glad I found your site! Happy New Year!
I found this Messiah last year and then lost if. If you read down the comments you find it was recorded by Collegium 1704 and Collegium Vocale 1704 from the Czech Republic. And the amazing Alto soloist was Delphone Galou. I’ve properly bookmarked this now!!
A fellow alto and a lover of early music. Yay, period instruments authentically tuned!
Bonne et joyeuse 2021. My heart is filled with music and soft squishy yarn!
Ooh! I sang the Bach Mass in B Minor several years ago and loved it. Now if I can only find my score…I moved across the country three weeks ago and much of my life remains in a box somewhere. I call myself a “utility singer,” like the utility player in baseball, meaning that I sing where the director wants me: normally first alto or second soprano. Seems like a lot of knitters are also altos, or at least knitters who read (and comment) on MDK!
Hey now, I have learned the secret code. “They play on Baroque instruments, with the tunings of the day” means “get ready for a harpsichord,” doesn’t it?
Thank you so much for the Messiah links. I am missing my choral singing and can’t wait to sing along (Alto of course).
My husband just gave me a piano for my 65th. Haven’t played in 45 years. Couldn’t read at first, but with the Bach Prelude in C, it came back to me. I’m very Bach Aware this week, so this is a perfect timely post.
Thank you, and Happy New Year.
The Bach Choir of Bethlehem has wonderful YouTube recordings out. They have a series called Bach at Noon, which has taught me a lot about Baroque music.
I did the Messiah sing along with Tafelmusik. It was a lot of fun. The conductor was a hoot! And boy is my singing voice rusty! (Another alto)
A great YouTube channel for Bach lovers is Bachstiftung. Even with my rusty German, it’s wonderful. Here’s a link:
https://youtu.be/0nkNkJL1gIY
Smothered and covered in a community of great knitting AND great music! St Matthew Passion surprised me in the kitchen the other day and (no meal at risk) I stood thru the whole thing, remembering how much my parents loved singing it, Mom conducting it.
Thank you to Kay, Ann and Knitter People everywhere for your generosity, humor, skills and humanity.
I did the Tafelmusik singalong last week. Many thanks to you for the tip. But I just am not crazy about countertenors stealing our alto arias. Not chesty enough!
DH and I sang along with Tafelmusik on Christmas Day. Can’t sing for anything but it didn’t matter at all. The great thing about doing it on the web is that we could take two tries at the Hallelujah chorus so we could get it at least partly right. Conductor is indeed hilarious.
You reminded me of the Messiah choir I was in each Christmas for a few years in my late 20’s. It was at my church and there was no auditioning, just singing to assign voice. I met one of my best friends during the early rehearsals, for which I’m forever grateful. You’re right about the thrill of raising voice with a group of people singing that glorious music. Definitely a bucket list item.
Thank you for putting up this piece of music. This may be the finest recording I’ve read heard of one of the greatest pieces of music in the world (and my favorite).
Thank you.
Can’t wait to m it to ALL of them!! Thank you!!
Am new and delighted to find you. I sang both ( low alto). Our lively director in a pause one day, said,” Date the sopranos, they’re a lot of fun, but marry an alto!”
Sang it in high school (alto). And I’ve had “Uns ist ein Kindlein heut geborn” running in my head throughout the holidays. I reached out to an old grad school friend who used to sing it in our shared house.
The Random Acts of Culture rendition has to be on the list of great moments of the Halleluia Chorus!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wp_RHnQ-jgU