Tafelmusik Sing-A-Long Messiah Contest

November 3, 2009 • Quotidian • 0 • Previous | Next

Miss Mussel has long held the view that the Messiah is boatloads more fun to sing than it is to listen to. In Toronto, the period performance outfit Tafelmusik cottoned on to this years ago and offers a sing-a-long concert in Massey Hall conducted by one Herr GF Handel. Anna Magdalena Bach has been known to show her face as well.

It is, simply put, a hoot. Imagine 4,000 church and community choir members finally getting the chance to belt out the Hallelujah Chorus with orchestra. Being a period band, Tafelmusik of course operates at Baroque pitch. Thankfully, this eliminates some of the most egregious sopranistic reaching but the effort still shakes the building to its foundation.

This year, Tafelmusik is running a Sing-A-Long video contest in which the public is invited to submit a a video of themselves singing a 90-second excerpt. You needn’t be a pro to submit and indeed the categories are designed to encourage a wide range of entries.

From the website:

Be creative! Have fun! Sing your heart out with friends and family or be a daring soloist. You can appear in the video, or not, as long as the music and/or voices in the video are your own. (You could even film yourself as a sock puppet!)

It doesn’t matter if you are a member of a choir, or you have never sung before & if you enjoy Handel’s Messiah, show us your stuff.

Maestro Handel himself will select the winners. Four (4) prizes in total will be awarded for:

1. GRAND PRIZE for Best Overall Performance
2. Best Group / Family
3. Best Soloist
4. Most Creative

The GRAND PRIZE includes:

* An onstage appearance during Tafelmusik’s Sing-Along Messiah concert at Massey Hall on Sunday, December 20, 2009 (concert begins at 2pm) including an introduction by Maestro Handel!*
* Four (4) VIP tickets to Tafelmusik’s Sing-Along Messiah concert, Sunday December 20, 2009 at 2pm*
* Two (2) tickets to a special filming of Sing-Along Messiah in January 2010, in Toronto
* An autographed photo of Maestro Handel himself
* A Tafelmusik CD prize package

The prizes for Best Group / Family, Best Soloist and Most Creative include:

* Two (2) VIP tickets to Tafelmusik’s Sing-Along Messiah concert at Massey Hall on Sunday, December 20, 2009 at 2pm*
* Two (2) tickets to a special filming of Sing-Along Messiah in January 2010, in Toronto
* A Tafelmusik CD prize package

*Not including transportation.

All entries must be received before Saturday, December 12, 2009 at 11:59 pm (EST). Contest winners will be announced on Monday, December 14, 2009 on Tafelmusik’s website, www.tafelmusik.org.

Entry requirements and rules | Watch videos