Canadian Gardening: What's Happening in your neck of the woods? Friends..., 1 by ViolaAnn

ViolaAnn wrote:
Yesterday was "Come Sing Messiah". I've played in the orchestra for 15 years, I think. CAMMAC runs it. It's held in one of the largest churches in Ottawa - capacity c. 1000. About 800 people come with their own copies of Messiah and sing and another 200 are in the audience - in the balcony. They hire soloists and a small orchestra and conductor and it get better every year. A lot of the singers now attend brush-up sessions on Saturday in November.

Because rehearsal time is limited - 1 hour with soloists and for the Overture and Pifa and another hour to do choruses with choir, the finesse isn't always there but the spirit sure is. I attach a picture of the event take about 3 years ago. The church was even fuller last night - back in the corners where there are empty seats in the pic. because they were asking singers to put their coats UNDER the pews to fit more people in. This is absolutely the BEST way to start off Christmas.

Ann