Just what is it about Handel's Messiah that makes it so appealing and so popular?
This is surely not Handel's most beautiful score; nor is his version of the story the most compelling or dramatic account of what Christmas is all about.
But the Philadelphia Singers' Messiah, performed to a capacity crowd Monday night at the Academy of Music, showed why the piece is likely to be resurrected every year for at least another 250 years.
Messiah has become a more effective piece of social ritual than a piece of music.
It is a chance for large numbers of people to come together to feel good about something they all have a connection with.
Choral music, by its very definition, involves huge forces, making it the most participatory - and equal-opportunity - art form.
Nearly everyone attending a Messiah performance has some personal connection with it - a friend or relative is in the choir or orchestra, or maybe the annual trek is part of a family tradition.
At the very least, people feel a strong rapport with the piece by being able to follow the familiar story, and perpetuating traditions associated it, such as knowing (or thinking they know) when to stand and why.
Atmosphere also plays heavily into the experience. It's hard to imagine a piece of architecture that could surpass the Academy of Music in its ability to complement a celebratory occasion.
The casting of Messiah makes it appealing to choirs. With 22 solo vocal opportunties, it doesn't have to rely too much on any one person, making it one of the most egalitarian works in the repertoire.
This worked in the Philadelphia Singers' favor, as no single soloist (there were 19, all drawn from the choir) was a clear standout, although baritone Keith Crawford, was a favorite with the audience.
In "The trumpet shall sound," Crawford's sound was resonant and glowing, and his articulation clear. Trumpeter Barbara Sauer Prugh, who stood and swayed freely during her concerto-like solos, used a beautifully soft-tongued articulation and snappy rhythms, and managed accurate technique.
She also had demonstrative fans in the audience, cheering loudly to her bows at the end of the piece.
Other vocal soloists typically had two or three excellent qualities, such as tone or intonation, joined by one or two shortcomings.
Mezzo-soprano Judith Russo, for instance, had careful intonation and one of the loveliest sound qualities of the evening. But her closed-mouth approach to articulation made it impossible to understand what she was saying.
The strongest stretches came when the full chorus and orchestra were at work.
Under the baton of artistic director David Hayes, "Surely he hath borne our griefs," "And with his stripes we are healed" and "All we like sheep have gone astray" showed a like-minded group of musicians who have benefited
from careful and thoughful rehearsal.
"For unto us a child is born" gave each section of the choir a chance to be heard independently, revealing a section of especially agile lower female voices.
