Music of the Beatles

The Michael O’Neal Singers, a chorus of 140 dedicated and talented musicians, will do something a little bit different tomorrow night when it presents a program called A Beatles Tribute, including a very special guest, The Return, recognized as one of the finest Beatles tribute bands in the business. We just recently did another concert beginning with “B” and it featured music of Bach, Beethoven, Brahms, Britten, and Bernstein. That was certainly something a bit different than what we’ll be doing tomorrow night! However, if pre-concert ticket sales are any indication (over 1200 at the time of this writing, with an expectation of 2000 people in attendance at the concert) we’ve found a concert theme that is certainly resonating with the concert going public!

That brings me to my subject today. As we’ve rehearsed our Beatles songs the past few weeks (we’ll be doing two sets in the concert and The Return will perform two sets), I’ve been reminded that much of their music is excellent. Pieces such as Yesterday, In My Life, Eleanor Rigby, The Long and Winding Road and Blackbird are, in my opinion, some of the finest popular songs of the last half of the 20th century. It has actually been a joy to prepare this music for performance, and to remind myself that music speaks to us in so many profound and different ways. I’m glad that the repertoire of The Michael O’Neal Singers this season has been able to include a wide variety of literature – Carl Orff’s Carmina Burana, Benjamin Britten’s Rejoice in the Lamb, Leonard Bernstein’s Chichester Psalms, G.F. Handel’s Messiah, and much more. Then, after all that, we’ll end the season with When I’m Sixty-Four, which by the way, is what I am!

How about you? Any favorite Beatles songs or other favorite “non-traditional” choral literature?

Big Choir Singing!

Eight hundred voices joined together yesterday afternoon for the 5th Annual Messiah Sing-Along in Roswell, GA (north metro Atlanta).  Sponsored by The Michael O’Neal Singers, it has become a community favorite and increases in attendance each year.  What a joy it is to have 800 people gathered together in one place singing with full robost voices the marvelous choruses of Handel’s masterpiece.  Since our performance space (Roswell UMC) seats 2000,  we should be alright for a few more years!

With soloists drawn from The Michael O’Neal Chamber Singers and instrumental accompaniment provided by the Riverside Chamber Players and organist Tom Alderman, the entire performance was a pleasure from the opening notes of the Overture to the final chords of “Hallelujah.”  There is such a sense of satisfaction that comes from so many people gathered in one place to perform (not just hear) the most beloved oratorio ever written.

For many of us, the familiar solos and choruses of of Handel’s “Christmas” Messiah (Part I and the “Hallelujah” from Part II) have become an integral part of our holiday experience.  I know that’s true for me, and I’m thankful to all those 800 people who helped make it happen this holiday season.