The best way to experience Handel’s Messiah is at a sing-along

I’m feeling like the best way to experience Handel’s Messiah is at a sing-along. My kids (ages 11 and 8) and I went to the Greater San Diego Music Coterie Chamber Orchestra and Chorus sing-along at the University of San Diego on Friday night.

The concert felt as though it flew by and this is always a good thing. A complete performance of the Messiah is going to run you three hours. in 1741, this made plenty of sense. What else were you going to do with your night? In 2015, three hours feels like an eternity and you will probably miss two different Christmas parties during that time.

The concert ran about 90 minutes, which is what Hollywood has trained us to expect for an evening’s entertainment. The great thing is that my kids weren’t constantly asking me if it was over yet. Why? Because we stood during the choral numbers. We followed along in the score and counted the beats. We were engaged in the music instead of sitting and fighting sleep.

It should be noted that in order to enjoy the Messiah sing-along you must be able to sing the Messiah, and it isn’t necessarily easy. In fact it is not easy at all, but singing all the notes isn’t as important as singing at least some of the notes. Most people don’t sing any notes at all.

The quality of the performance isn’t the deciding factor in a sing-along. The opportunity to sing with others is the deciding factor. When is the last time you sang with a group of people?

I can hear you now. “But I can’t sing, but I can’t read music.” Understood. Maybe that can be your thing this year.

First of all, do you really want to live your entire life and not understand how music works? Music is a large part of most of our lives but how many people can sing a major scale, let alone write one down?

Second of all, the ability to learn music is in all of us just as much as the ability to learn arithmetic is in all of us. Is it easier for some and more difficult for others? Of course, it is but that does not negate the ability. If you can learn 2+2=4 then you can learn to read music. Every single functioning person on the planet can learn to read music.

Third of all, the experience of creating music with others is an experience unlike any other. It makes you a better person. You learn to listen to others and to make your voice fit in with theirs. When you miss an entrance you can count on someone else to come in correctly and get you back on track. You find that you sound better together than any of you do on your own at the Karaoke bar. Do I need to spell out how this can be applied to other areas of life?

We are great at consuming music. We are surrounded by music all the time. Yet being active in creating music is more important and more fulfilling than listening to music.

You could always use technology to help you learn music.