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Handel’s sublime music for Lionel Wendt celebrations

The Lionel Wendt Theatre this year celebrates its 50th anniversary as a centre for the performing arts, painting, sculpture and photography. A series of events have been organised by the trustees to celebrate the occasion.

The Cantata Singers conducted by Satyendra Chellappah and the Revelations under the baton of Sanjeev Jayaratnam will dedicate an Evening of Choral Music to celebrate this event at the Lionel Wendt Theatre on Thursday August 28, at 7 p.m.

The Cantata Singers, a chamber choir formed by Gerald Cooray in 1964, continues to this day under the baton of Satyendra Chellappah.

The choir will sing excerpts from Handel's greatest oratorio, The Messiah. At the organ will be Jayadeva Ratnanayagam who has obtained a B.Mus. (Hons.) and was the winner of the Herbert Davies Music prize. While in Australia he was the Assistant Organist at St. Paul's Cathedral, Melbourne.

Satyendra Chellappah explains that the order of the excerpts selected for the performance has been rearranged to present a programme in three parts. The Proclamation, introduced by "O Thou that tellest good tidings", is a glimmer of dancing sunrays on water, bringing the unrevealed to expectation. The second part, the sacrifice of the Lamb of God dying on the cross, the agony and depredation is described in most poignant music.

The scene of the inquisitive crowd, which comes to see the execution of a man, is musicalised in expressions of awesomeness and attrition. The sublimity of Handel's music moves one to tears and to an inner contrition of heart. The Messiah ends with a promise: the third part keeps alive the hope of eternal life.

The Revelations are an all-male choir who have been singing together from 1994. The group concentrates on singing choral music from many genres - the result being music pleasing to the ear and underlining the majesty of the male voice. Music from varied styles including gospel, pop, classical, semi-classical and also barbershop.

The songs performed at this concert include 'Ole Man River, Maria from Westside Story and Up On the Roof.