Burgess Hill Choral Society offers Christmas concert

Some choir members are new to Messiah and others have sung it before.

Alto Bernadette Johnson said: “It’s my first time singing Messiah and it’s been brilliant, absolutely lovely. My dad used to sing it, and I’ve always wanted to do it. It’s such a powerful piece of music, you get carried away with it.”

Bass Karl Fisher loves it too: “Sometimes the basses fill in the low notes to back everybody up, but in Messiah there’s so much work for the basses to do, which makes it more exciting and challenging.”

Sopranos Helen Coutts and Christine King are finding it really ‘enjoyable and uplifting’. Sue Henry, another alto, echoes many singers’ thoughts when she says: “I’d love the opportunity to sing it once a year. I just think it’s a wonderful piece of music.”

Musical director Mike Wood explains its popularity: “Well, firstly it’s in English and so English audiences can understand the words. Then we all know the story well and we are familiar with parts like The Hallelujah Chorus, For Unto Us a Child is Born and others. Above all, though, it’s the music. The music is so perfectly written. It’s so uplifting to sing, it’s joyous and it’s lovely for the audience to listen to. So it’s a win-win situation.”

The choir is also singing J S Bach’s Cantata 122, The Newborn Child and a number of carols.

The concert will be held on Saturday, December 4 at 7.30pm, at St Andrew’s Church, Junction Road, RH15 OLG. Tickets (£14, under-18s free) are available from Burgess Hill Help Point, on the door, or phone 07522 493966. Covid-related measures will be in place. For further information about the concert, visit the website www.burgesshillchoral.org.