The Messiah Concerts of the Redlands Community Church
Below are selection from four concerts. Some concerts only used early instruments, a first for the South Florida area and a rare occurrence anywhere. One concert was the more familiar "Christmas section," or part I. Two concerts were the more difficult parts II and III, sometimes called the "Easter section." These include the great 1998 professional presentation with strings and brass. The remaining concert was a "mini-Messiah" within "Bach to the Future" (2000).
Handel's Messiah - Parts II and III - 1998
Click here to listen to the one of the finest presentations of Messiah from a largely resident church choir in the annuls of oratorio concerts. This was an unparalleled performance in South Florida.
Below are the choruses and arias that were accompanied only by early instruments.
Chorus: Lift Up Your Heads: here performed with only period instruments: recorders, viols, sackbut, portative organ, and harpsichord.
Other performances by Katie Burdick on this site:
Air: I Know That My Redeemer Liveth: Katie Burdick, soprano. The early instruments (alto recorder, bass viol, harpsichord, and portative organ) provide a minimalist, but quite effective baroque
Both Katie and John
sing solos on
"Were You There?"
accompaniment. Ms. Burdick, with her nearly perfect voice, is allowed to give a profoundly unique and soulful interpretation to this Passion air in the quietude of these period instruments.
Hear Katie and John on this Advent song---------->
Recit: He That Dwelleth in Heaven; Air: Thou Shalt Break Them: John Flynt, tenor. Mr. Flynt can sing a wide range of idioms (listen to his rendition of "Danny Boy" on the Immanuel Choir page,
under Ancient & Celtic Concert). He is also a fine pianist. He may be the only artist in contemporary Christian music in South Florida who is also an accomplished oratorio soloist. He is as masterful in Handel as he is in gospel music. The early instruments add another rare dimension to the sound.
Chorus: Surely, He Hath Borne Our Griefs.
These two choruses are accompanied by portative organ, harpsichord, recorders, viols, and sackbut (doubling the tenor line).
Other performances by John Flynt on this site:
Chorus: Hallelujah!
Hallelujah! - This performance of the world's most well-known anthem chorus is unusual in the fact that it wasn't a part of an oratorio concert; it was presented on Easter, April 3, 1994, in the Sunday morning church service.
The other Messiah selections on this site were all in-concert: one "Christmas Messiah," (part the first), and three "Easter Messiah" presentations (parts the second and third). Accompaniments for the affectionately called "Easter Messiah" were a string and brass ensemble (1998), and early instruments for the other two (recorders, viols, harpsichord, portative organ and sackbut). In this church service presentation, Diane Maltby plays piano, and the resident choir sings, directed my MR. This exemplifies the excellent capabilities of the RCC choir sans any extra help from the addition of guest singers who were invited to join us for large concert situations.
This performance of the (familiarly called) "Christmas Messiah" was with piano and baroque instruments: Above, you will see Dr. Warren Broome at the piano; Pam Schwisher on the harpsichord; Rodolpho Guzman playing recorders; and
Jone Vaughn playing bass viol.