Sing Handel's "Messiah" at Duke Chapel

Members of the Duke and Durham communities are invited to raise their voices together in a classic holiday choral work during the annual Messiah Sing-along at Duke Chapel  on Nov. 24.

This holiday tradition usually brings up to 400 people to Duke Chapel to sing selected choruses from George Frederick Handel's "Messiah," including the famous "Hallelujah Chorus." 

"I wanted people to come and have fun singing this grand piece of music in a grand place," said Rodney Wynkoop, director of music at Duke Chapel, who started the sing-along in 1989. "It is much more of a community event than a somber concert. It has become quite a tradition."

Participants can borrow a musical score with the "Messiah" choruses from the Chapel, bring their own score, or purchase a new score at the Chapel entrance. The Chapel has prominently labeled areas for sopranos, altos, tenors and basses to make it easier for less experienced singers to follow their parts. David Arcus, chapel organist, provides the accompaniment. Previously auditioned singers from the Duke community, including many students, perform the solos that stitch together the choruses into a musical re-telling of the life of Jesus. 

"From the beginning I wanted to make this an occasion for less experienced singers to get involved," Wynkoop said. "Over the years we have had several people sing who have never before performed a solo in public."

Kristen Blackman, administrative director of clinic operations for neurosciences at Duke Hospital, will be one of the 13 soloists this year. She will sing "I Know That My Redeemer Liveth." A Duke alumna, she has participated in the sing-along almost every year since 1999, either as a chorus member or soprano soloist.

"It's a way for me to kick off the holiday season, and I often invite others to join," Blackman said. "People often say 'but I'm not good enough to be in a choir.' I tell them this is an opportunity to sing whether or not you think you have talent."

Wynkoop conducts the sing-along from two music stands, one facing the chorus in the pews, the other facing the steps in front of the altar, where the soloists stand. He keeps extra notes on the second music stand so he can introduce each soloist before he or she sings. When each soloist finishes and the applause dies down, Wynkoop turns to the audience for the next chorus.

Conducting several hundred singers with a wide range of abilities has its challenges, Wynkoop said. He makes it easier for singers by setting a slower tempo than he uses when he performs the Messiah with the Chapel Choir in December, and exaggerating his hand gestures to cue each choral part's entrance.

"My body is more tired after the sing-along than after a full Messiah concert," he said. "But it is worth it because I know people are singing for the joy of it."