St Peter's Cathedral North Adelaide - Kapelle Singers

On a wet and blustery night when most of us are heading home, Musical Director Colin Curtis takes his charges on a choral journey down through the ages to the 18th century and the time of composer George Frideric Handel.

The Kapelle Singers have gathered for yet another night of practice, as they seek to master Handel's epic oratorio, the Messiah, in readiness for Palm Sunday. Janet Young was a member of the acclaimed Pembroke Girls Choir during its early years, while Shelley Brunt was a member of the Pembroke team in the early nineties. They're now part of the Kapelle singers along with foundation member Mary-Ann Ashmore, and the reason they're here on a cold autumn night, is to bring to life Handel's choral interpretation of the story of Jesus Christ.

Handel wrote the Messiah in 1741 and over time it has become a signature piece for Easter services. "The birth of Christ, the passion and death of Christ, and the resurrection, are all covered in this one amazing feast." Spanning two and a half hours, Handel's masterpiece covers a feast of emotions, from the sombre to the uplifting.

Composing the piece was an emotionally draining experience, and it seems to have a similar affect on those who sing it. To write the thing in twenty four days, he was writing and keeping extraordinary hours. They went into find him, having just finished the Allelujah chorus, in tears. He felt, he said to them, that he had discovered the Lord Jesus in this piece of music.

The genesis of the Kapelle Singers came from bonds established when many of these women were part of the Pembroke Girls Choir. In 1998, the male tenor and bass sections were added so that forty voices now come together to produce something special. To do it really well and to make it a moving experience and to involve your audience, is one of the great difficulties, and it's great to be part of that.

You can experience Handel's Messiah, as sung by the Kapelle Singers at St. Peter's Cathedral on Palm Sunday, April 16th. 2000 at 2.00pm. Bookings can be made through Bass 13 12 46.

For more information email info@postcards-sa.com.au