30 years of singing along
Tafelmusik’s Sing-Along Messiah celebrates three decades and conductor Ivars Taurins plans some surprises
“I guess I’m a ham,” admits conductor Ivars Taurins, who dons a powdered wig, handmade (by him) scarlet coat and knee socks to transform into famed composer George Frideric Handel for Tafelmusik’s annual Sing-Along Messiah.
As this is the 30th anniversary of the event where the public gets to sing the famous oratorio backed by the Tafelmusik Baroque Orchestra and Chamber Choir, Taurins is planning some special jokes.
He won’t reveal what surprises he has in store for the Sunday audience packed to the rafters in Massey Hall (Tafelmusik will have performed the Messiah for three evenings previously in Koerner Hall), but he is known for making it a laughter-filled event.
Recently, while the audience warmed up singing notes, they slowly realized that they were singing the theme to Star Wars.
“I need to break the ice,” Taurins says. “I yell at them for not singing loud enough.”
At intermission, he is served a glass of claret by a choir member.
He borrowed from the movie Cabaret for his welcoming remarks, “Willkommen, bienvenue, welcome.”
Many in the audience know what’s coming and often recite the well-worn lines, Sue Fukushima says. “It’s not formal at all, it’s a blast. Ivars is a great conductor and he is hilarious.”
Fukushima, a business contractor who also sings and plays in a rock band, 2menygirls, has a ritual on the day of the 2 p.m. concert. She meets up with friend Rosie Petrick for an early breakfast at Fran’s (across the street from Massey), then they bundle up to line up with the other eager singers.
It is general admission, but people are sorted by what they are going to sing, if they are tenor, bass, alto or soprano.
“It’s easier to sing in a group. You see a lot of people who are in formal choirs.”
Fukushima met Petrick many years ago when they both worked for Manulife and sang in its choir. Now, they’ve been joining voices in the singalong for around two decades.
Donald Short says he missed the first five years, but it’s now firmly entrenched as a seasonal tradition. So much so that when he married Heather Sampson, they spent their honeymoon at the event.
“We were married on Saturday and went to the singalong on Sunday,” says Short, a bass baritone and music lover who once sat on the Tafelmusik board.
He finds the music in the Messiah wonderful to sing, “The ‘Hallelujah’ sells it. I love the music. I love Handel and it’s close enough to Christmas to get me in the spirit.”
Pratik Ghandi, who has two degrees in music, attends the concerts with his fellow grads from Western University.
“I’ve always been part of a group of fellow musicians and music students.
My birthday is that time of the year (Christmas Eve) so we incorporate it as part of the season, too.”
Admitting that his singing is “pretty good, I’ve been in choirs my whole life,” baritone Ghandi says the concert signals the beginning of Christmas for him.
“I’m happy to start Christmas as early as you like. I look forward to what Ivars Taurins will do; he’ll change something up.”
The amateurs aren’t on their own, of course.
Tafelmusik Chamber Choir member Kate Helsen, also a professor of music history at Western University, says the Massey Hall show gives the choir a chance to see the audience since Koerner Hall is darkened for their concerts there.
“The capacity is 2,500 and it’s usually full and all are really excited about this. We look past the conductor at excited people and it’s a community.”
Tafelmusik’s Sing-Along Messiah is at Massey Hall, 178 Victoria St., Sunday at 2 p.m.