Christopher's most recent performance of Messiah (his 43rd) was a tumultuous affair in Madrid last December that caused him to recall his first performance, 20 years earlier:

"In Madrid, with the wonderful Chiltern Chamber Choir and their conductor Adrian Davis, we were faced with torrential rain before the concert, a full house given access to the Teatro Monumental through a single doorway, and a spirited element of the audience who, having queued in the rain for over half an hour to pick up their pre-purchased tickets, were then barred as latecomers from entering the hall because the concert was being televised.  Their spirit was magnificent: not only did they display great stoicism by standing so determinedly in the rain (they could have almost been British!) but, once the concert had started, went on to have the brass and organisation to chant in unison from outside the hall demanding to be let in!  Unfortunately it was the poor tenor who had to contend with the rumpus during Comfort Ye and Every Valley.  His excellent singing was greeted with a spontaneous burst of applause from those in the hall but it was followed immediately by the house lights coming up, the doors flying open and 200 or so disgruntled audience members charging in at great speed and somewhat noisily.  After no little confusion we re-started but the trouble was not over, especially for the poor tenor.  

At the interval, he was asked by the Hall Director to repeat Comfort Ye and Every Valley at the end of the concert for continuity purposes. "That's some encore," I thought.  Hesitantly he agreed (it was his first Messiah).  So, just before the second half, the Director explained the situation to the audience, asking everyone to stay behind for a few minutes. Unfortunately, she then proceeded to blame this upon the audience members 'who had arrived late.'  Visions of Picasso's Guernica flashed through my mind as the 'latecomers' hurled insults at her while other audience members hurled insults at them, questioning why, if they had got there on time, the others couldn't have also?  Remarkably the rest of the evening was a complete triumph, including the televised encore, but it was a world away from my very first Messiah (and solo concert) in London in 1988. There were however one or two similarities...  

On that occasion we had a power cut during the afternoon rehearsal (sadly rectified just after Hath seen a Great Light), but also latecomers: my family, led sternly by my late father, arrived just as I stood, quite literally shaking, for Thus Saith the Lord.  They took just enough time to find their seats to cover the entire recitative - an inauspicious start which didn't improve much from where I was sitting.  I sang appallingly, leaving me to wonder what had possessed me to believe I might have a future as a soloist.  My spirits were lifted briefly by the tenor soloist who "corpsed" himself in the Hallelujah chorus, quickly taking me with him, to the point where I was literally crying with laughter and having to bury my head in my copy in a vain attempt to cover my "condition." This enjoyment was short-lived.  
 
The concert finished and I was last to leave, hoping selfishly that my family might have gone home to spare my feelings (they were of course waiting dutifully and full of praise).  As I stood there, wishing the ground would swallow me, an unknown, elderly lady approached.  Warmly dressed, complete with woolly hat, she beckoned me closer.  "Chris, I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed your performance."  "Thank you very much," I said, silently imagining frankly evil acts of God would rain down. "I especially liked the bit where you and the tenor pissed yourself in the Hallelujah chorus!"  I suddenly felt much better and then she disappeared.
 
42 performances later, I still love the piece and learn something about both the music and myself on each occasion.  I'm still hopeful that I'll reach my half-century before I retire and the 50th performance has already been promised to me by Adrian Davis (in Madrid maybe?!). Now all I need is to do is find the other six I need!

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