Review: Dame Jane Glover and Music of the Baroque Keep The Messiah Fresh

As I listened to Dame Jane Glover conduct the Music of the Baroque Orchestra and Chorus through the third performance of Handel’s “Hallelujah Chorus” in as many months, it dawned on me how this music never gets old. Monday night’s concert at Symphony Center offered a single work, George Friderich Handel’s The Messiah, a totally appropriate piece for an ensemble that specializes in music from the mid 18th Century and earlier. 275 years after it was written, the “Hallelujah Chorus”—and The Messiah in which it resides—still sounds fresh and exciting. It helps that MOB sings and plays it very well.

MOB’s first two performances of “Hallelujah Chorus” took place on the river boat in September. Like that occasion, the third performance included musicians from MOB’s Strong Voices program for students from seven Chicago area high schools. To start Monday’s concert, 153 students filled the front of the stage and the aisles of the auditorium for an amazing rendition of this amazing piece.

During the London premiere of The Messiah, King George II stood up during the “Hallelujah Chorus,” and audiences have followed suit ever since. Given the size and complexity of the Strong Voices ensemble and the need for Dame Glover to maintain sightlines, the audience was instructed to stay seated. Old habits are hard to break. Sitting through the “Hallelujah Chorus” didn’t feel natural, but the experience was worth it.

To perform the full Messiah on Monday, Glover and the orchestra and chorus were joined by soprano Yulia Van Doren, mezzo-soprano Sasha Cooke, tenor Miles Mykkanen, and baritone Will Liverman. The Messiah is rather strange because Handel has the soloists only singing solo, backed up by the orchestra. The quartet never shares an interlude as a group or a trio. Only once do even two of them share the stage together, and then, they don’t sing at the same time.

The soloists do not have to blend with other voices, but they do have to blend with the orchestra. Also, it gives each soloist opportunities to shine on their own, and they did so admirably on Monday.

Most impressive were Cooke and Liverman. Cooke had a very distinctive tone color and was especially effective when she was backed up only by violins and continuo in “O thou that tellest.” Handel gave the bass/baritone a lively solo in “Why do nations furiously rage,” and Liverman sang it with aplomb. Later, in “The trumpet shall sound,” he was joined by trumpeter Aaron Schuman; trumpet and voice sounded great together.

Dame Glover was clearly at one with this music. Conducting without a baton, her arms moved in circular motion and rested as if she were hugging the orchestra and chorus. During Part I, the orchestra was precise and perfect. After intermission, however, intonation in the violins was not as precise. While not perfect, it was still very enjoyable.

One of many great things about The Messiah is that it is sung in English. Sometimes when singing in the only language I understand, choirs can sound blurry. Not a problem on Monday night. Chorus Director Andrew MeGill ensured the singers brought excellent diction and phrasing. They were great during the many fugal passages of cannon and counterpoint Handel bequeathed them. It is always fun to listen to melodies move around a choir, and there were many noteworthy occasions. My favorite was “And he shall purify.”

When MOB delivered its fourth rendition of the “Hallelujah Chorus” in three months, it was exhilarating. Standing wasn’t just an automatic gesture, the standing ovation was completely deserved.