Originally Posted by
DnvrFox
One of my goals for this Christmas program this year is a solo by me of one of the recitatives for bass for Handel's Messiah.
That will be an entirely new singing experience for me!
RECITATIVE. (Accompanied - Bass)
For Behold, darkness shall cover the earth, and gross darkness the people; but the Lord shall rise upon thee, and His glory shall be seen upon thee, and the Gentiles shall come to thy light, and kings to the brightness of thy rising.
That's a great one! Not easy, but at least the tempo is not too high, and you don't have fast runs (or melismas). I learned it in college, but I'm not a soloist. It has a lot of accidentals, your ears will be your best friends, second of course to breath support, especially in the rising line "but the Lord shall arise upon thee." It's a very long phrase!
We do Messiah twice every year. I have done in this chorus for 5 years, and back in college in Chicago for about 7. Never get tired of it!