Sir, - I was alarmed, but not surprised, at your paper's sensational coverage of the recent performances of Messiah XXI. As a choral singer with over 40 years' experience singing in various productions of Messiah, I auditioned successfully to be a member of the National Philharmonic Chorus and sang on the two nights. What I experienced was a Messiah like no other I have ever been part of.
This performance had none of the refinement and feeling of the original. To be fair, there were some good moments, and the playing of the orchestra and the singing of the choirs deserved better from the critics. Members of the Visual Ministry Gospel Choir told me that they were going to take one of the arrangements into their own repertoire on their return to England.
I was appalled by the unprofessional approach of some of the soloists who obviously hadn't learned the arrangements properly; to watch them struggling through the music in front of the audience, the cameras, the President and members of the Millennium Committee was excruciating. I wondered what I doing there as part of this debacle.
Given the large amount of public money that went into this production I have to ask: Will there be another tribunal of inquiry? - Yours, etc.,
Brian McIvor, Slane, Co Meath.