An Irishwoman's Diary

There's nothing quite like a catchy tune, and Handel certainly wrote his share of them - as did Bach, Vivaldi, Mozart and many others. Along with many other bewildered observers, I'm still trying to figure out why anyone would feel it was time to update Messiah. Now 257 years old, it remains fresh and vibrant. Its powerful appeal, even for those who are not drawn to classical music, lies in, among other things, its genius. Never that easy, trying to improve on genius. No, it's pointless unless you have something really special to offer. Rule one for anyone attempting to radicalise a choral masterpiece: be capable of singing, preferably in tune.

Roger Daltry

About the most interesting fact to emerge from last weekend's haphazard disco Messiah is that Roger Daltry, survivor of an ancient rock group known as The Who, is, at 54, almost as old as Handel was when he composed Messiah in six weeks in 1741. Then 57, Handel presented mankind with an enduring gift which was first performed for charity - not like this greedy showbiz travesty which was counting its money, consulting lawyers over copyright and comparing itself to the Riverdance industry before the big names had even come on stage to slaughter the score.

That Daltry had managed to live so long on this planet while remaining unaware of Messiah, and could perform it despite having to ask, "What's it about? I don't know the piece at all", is itself something of a feat. "What's another gig?" appears to have been his attitude. But then the entire undertaking was merely a bizarre gig.

Why be given £700,000 of public money just to allow four untrained soloists of limited musicality to mess up a masterpiece? It is a bit like inviting retired footballers to have a go at Swan Lake. Blame the Government; blame the man who handed over so much public money when there are so many fine, unsubsidised amateur choirs in Ireland; when there are good Irish singers; when we don't even have a National Opera House. Above all, blame Frank McNamara, who, as a trained musician, at least should have known better.

If this fiasco had to be staged for bravado's sake, why not in Las Vegas? Why not update Jesus Christ Superstar - now there's a tired work that could do with a face-lift. But then Andrew Lloyd Webber is not dead, nor is he a Handel or a Bach. Did the people who handed over that money for a gimmick that was bound to cause offence - and has - not think that surely it should at least have gone to an original work? Did they think?

The project was not even original. There is in existence an admittedly forgettable excerpts album entitled Messiah: A Soulful Celebration which was released in the US in 1992. It sank too. As for "jazzing up" Messiah, any good choir under a good conductor with a jazz pianist could achieve this, as Handel's rhythms are inherently jazz-like. Ponder that if you will.

Fine recordings

Still, this is the season of good will. Handel has survived, not that that was ever in doubt. Daltry clearly has no future in Baroque music. Given time, young musicians and talented amateur singers who attend rehearsals after their day's study or work will forget that a quartet of busy superstars with hardly a true note between them could dare attempt Messiah having only spared two days to rehearse. Why rush out to buy the CD of a mess when there are so many fine recordings of Messiah available?

The Irish have come to expect high choral standards and Irish choirs can deliver them. A good performance of Messiah, whether at Christmas or Easter, remains a cherished event. Since 1992, Messiah's 250th anniversary, Our Lady's Choral Society has performed excerpts from Messiah in the open air - sometimes in the rain - in Fishamble Street on April 13th, to mark the date and place of the first performance. At Christmas time the choir sings the entire work for four nights at the National Concert Hall.

This year's performances, under music director Proinnsias O Duinn, begin next Monday (in aid of Children's Hour), continuing on Wednesday 15th, Thursday 16th and Friday 17th. Perhaps Frank McNamara should invite his four superstars along to hear how it can and should be sung. Messiah is also available this week: Christ Church Baroque, under Mark Duley and Therese Timoney, will present the work in the cathedral tonight and tomorrow night.

And there are other choral riches on offer before Christmas. On Thursday of this week, Ite O'Donovan will conduct her 30 Lassus Scholars as well as the 45-strong Piccolo Lasso junior choir with the Orlando Chamber Orchestra in a Christmas concert at the National Concert Hall. The programme includes Haydn's Mass in B Flat, the dramatic and elegant Theresienmesse. Composed in 1799, a few months after the first performance of The Creation, it is the fourth of Haydn's sixth masses. The programme also includes motets by Poulenc and Tavener, as well as carols.

Training singers

Still only three-and-a-half years in existence, O'Donovan's Dublin Choral Foundation choirs - with a further 25 children aged between six and nine in training - have already recorded two CDs, including Sing Choirs of Angels, which is the best Irish Christmas CD available. Considering £700,000 could be handed over so easily to the disco Messiah, spare a thought for Ms O'Donovan, who as a conductor and teacher is actually training a future generation of Irish singers. Her Dublin Choral Foundation with its charitable status could have done a lot with that kind of money, as she is getting wonderful results with very little cash.

Next time the Government has some money to fling about, why not look to the Lassus Scholars, or Our Lady's Choral Society, or the Culwick Choral Society, or Dun Laoghaire Choral Society - or one of the many other good choirs serving the Irish public at their own expense.

Next Saturday yet another fine choral group, the Guinness Choir and Orchestra, will perform Monteverdi's Vespers under David Milne at St Patrick's Cathedral. Composed in 1610 and rarely performed - especially with a strong choir of 120 voices - this should be pre-Christmas musical delight in atmospheric surroundings. And The Guinness Choir hasn't been given £700,000 either.

Handel: his masterpiece will survive the mess