Slideshow image

Join your voices and raise your instruments with singers and instrumentalists from around Seattle for the Second Community Messiah Sing-Along on Friday, November 20, 2026, at St. John the Baptist Episcopal Church. Written by George Frideric Handel in 1741, Messiah — and especially the "Hallelujah Chorus" — has become one of the most widely performed and recognized pieces of Western music. This sing-along will include choruses, solos, and instrumental music from Part I: The Birth of Jesus (about 1 hour) — and yes, the "Hallelujah Chorus," too!

Rehearsals and Performance Dates

  • Sunday, October 25 from 2:00 - 4:00 p.m. — Soloist auditions
  • Sunday, November 15 from 1:00 - 3:00 p.m. — Orchestra run-through (strongly advised)
  • Sunday, November 15 from 7:00 - 8:30 p.m. — Chorus run-through (optional)
  • Friday, November 20 from 7:00 - 8:15 p.m. — Community Messiah Sing-Along

For Participants

  • All are welcome to join the chorus! Bring your scores (Schirmer preferred), share with a friend, or borrow from one of our limited number of scores. If you’ve never sung this piece before, you may want to invest some time learning your part and come to the optional rehearsal… or just show up and wing it—that’s fine, too.

  • All are welcome to join the orchestra! Instrumentalists should contact Dr. Thomas Aláan to get scores, be familiar with their parts ahead of time, and plan to attend the one rehearsal and performance. Handel’s score calls for violin, viola, cello, bass, oboe, trumpet, timpani, and basso continuo (harpsichord, bassoon, portative organ). Mozart’s arrangement expanded this to include clarinet, flute, and French horn. Our arrangement will include anyone who wants to show up—in the great tradition of music throughout time, we’ll use what we’ve got. If you come, we’ll figure it out!

  • All vocal solos are open for audition. Please contact Dr. Thomas Aláan to schedule an audition time on 10/25. A resume or a note on performance experience is optional. Please prepare a selection that showcases your voice—preferably, one of the arias you hope to sing, but another Baroque composer or a song with melismas (“runs”) is fine. A collaborative keyboardist will be on hand to play with you, or you may bring your own pianist. If you’re not available at this time, you can arrange with Thomas separately (though no collaborative pianist will be available). Please be available for the 11/15 run-through to rehearse your solo(s).
Contact Thomas for Orchestra & Soloist Information
Resources for Vocalists

For singers preparing to join the chorus, below are some great videos to help you prepare. They highlight your part (visually) and dampen the other parts so you can hear and see your part clearly for learning purposes (while still including the other voices and instruments in the back as reference).

And the glory of the Lord: Bass, Tenor, Alto, Soprano
And he shall purify: Bass, Tenor, Alto, Soprano
O thou that tellest good tidings to Zion: Bass, Tenor, Alto, Soprano
For unto us a child is born: Bass, Tenor, Alto, Soprano
Glory to God in the highest: Bass, Tenor, Alto, Soprano
His yoke is easy: Bass, Tenor, Alto, Soprano
Let all the angels of God worship Him: Bass, Tenor, Alto, Soprano
Hallelujah: Bass, Tenor, Alto, Soprano

You can also find additional rehearsal resources such as midi files of parts HERE