Many Voices, Trained and Untrained Alike, Join in 'Messiah'

Now, a VOA Special English program for the Christmas holiday.  I'm Mary Tillotson.

Each December, thousands of Americans take part in a traditional musical event called the "Messiah Sing-Along."

In seventeen forty-one, German composer George Frideric Handel started writing an oratorio or musical drama called "Messiah."  The music contains words from the Bible, the Christian holy book.  The words tell of the coming birth of Jesus of Nazareth.  They praise his life and tell of his death and return to life.

Many professional musicians have performed and recorded "Messiah."  Every year, thousands of untrained singers from the public also perform this beautiful music. These people take part in a "Messiah Sing-Along" in churches or theaters.

For example, the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts in Washington, D.C. holds this event each year before Christmas.

Listen now as the Tallis Chamber Choir shows why so many people want to sing "Messiah."