Gareth Malone Returns to Our Screens with a Festive Performance of Handel’s Messiah
The renowned choirmaster Gareth Malone is back on our screens, leading a group of eight absolute beginners in a performance of Handel’s Messiah with the BBC National Orchestra and Chorus of Wales at Cardiff’s Llandaff Cathedral. The series, which airs on BBC One and iPlayer, follows Malone as he attempts to coax classical perfection from his novice singers in just seven weeks.
According to Radio Times, Malone chose to work with Handel’s Messiah because of its wholesome nature. “It’s about eight people encountering Handel; I chose it because of that. It’s a very wholesome thing to do,” he said. As Radio Times reports, Malone has a deep connection to the piece, having been introduced to it by his parents at a young age. “Messiah is a text I’ve known my whole life. I was introduced to it by my parents; they would sing the Halleluiah Chorus while doing the washing up.”
Malone’s passion for music is evident, and he believes that it has the power to change lives. As quoted in Radio Times, he said, “Music is always the thing I come back to. That’s what drives me.” However, he is concerned about the lack of music education in schools, which he believes is essential for promoting creativity and self-expression.
The Radio Times article highlights Malone’s fears that future generations are missing out on the benefits of music education. “I’ve been in music education for 30 years, and I’ve not seen any sea change by any government,” he said. “I hoped my work might bang the drum for the importance of music; it’s essential to us as human beings.”
Malone’s own career has experienced a resurgence since his hiatus, and he credits his wife and Johann Sebastian Bach with helping him through a difficult period. As Radio Times reports, he said, “I’d listen to Bach. His music is perfect. And he understood loss and grief. Music is always the thing I come back to. That’s what drives me.”
The closure of Cardiff University’s School of Music has also sparked concerns about the future of music education in Wales. Malone expressed his disappointment, saying, “Wales, the land of song! That was announced when we were recording this series there. It’s so sad. Some of our singers in the Chorus of Wales were students at Cardiff University. We led the world in music for years. Now it’s getting to a tipping point.”
In Radio Times, Malone also discussed the importance of human connection in music, saying, “You can’t get a computer to sing Messiah and be in an orchestra. It’s organic, and real, and moving. Tech is useful, but when I turn to my piano, it’s real and vibrating.”
Gareth Malone’s Messiah airs on BBC One and iPlayer on Friday, 18th April. For more information on the series and to catch up on previous episodes, visit the BBC website.
Malone’s passion for music education and his commitment to promoting the importance of music in schools are inspiring. As Radio Times reports, he said, “What music does is promote feelings of success. You do one rehearsal, and another, and you feel as if you’re achieving something.”
The series is a testament to the power of music to bring people together and create something beautiful. With his characteristic enthusiasm and dedication, Gareth Malone is sure to inspire a new generation of music lovers.
Gareth Malone’s Messiah is a must-watch for anyone who loves classical music, music education, or simply wants to be inspired by the power of music. Don’t miss it on BBC One and iPlayer.
Source link
