Camarata to perform ‘Messiah’

Two soloists flying in for concert that is becoming a yearly tradition


Camarata Music Company will put on its annual performance of Handel’s “Messiah” on Dec. 17.

The concert at Chungdong First Methodist Church in Seoul will feature almost all of the choral classic.

Backed by an orchestra and the CMC Chorale, the soloists will be bass Won Cho and soprano Cho Kyoung-hwa, both flying in from the United States, and alto Ryu Seong-gak and tenor Choi Jung-sook.

Conductor Ryan Goessl says that the chance to perform the work in its native English was one motivation for the concert. He said he helped schools and other groups perform “Messiah” three or four times a year.

“Every time its in Korean. You can learn Korean a little bit but it’s nice to hear it in its native language.”

This will be the third year in a row that the company has performed “Messiah.”

“We’ve kind of made it a tradition,” says Goessl. 
 

“We do different concerts of everything else but at Christmas time it’s really nice to do ‘Messiah’ because it’s well known and gets a good audience. The choir enjoys doing it. It’s difficult but it’s possible to do.”

Goessl added that his undergraduate choral professor, who he thinks of as an adopted grandfather, led performances of “Messiah” for 57 years until he retired.

“I really liked the tradition, so I want to make my own kind of tradition in the company,” he said.

Goessl says it’s been a good year for the company. They have attracted more sponsorship, sold out all their concerts and even performed a concert at the Blue House for President Lee Myung-bak.

They have also acquired a new practice and performance space in Haebangchon.

But he thinks Camarata could go a lot further and would particularly like to see expansion in their outreach program, which provides instruments and lessons to disadvantaged children.

“Of course you’d like it to progress a little quicker but in two years it feels like we’ve gone from zero to 60,” said Goessl. “I’d like to take it to 120 though.”

Before the concert the Seoul International School children’s choir will give a Christmas carol performance.

Tickets for the concert, which starts at 7:30 p.m., are 15,000 won in advance and 25,000 won at the door.

By Paul Kerry (paulkerry@heraldcorp.com)