United States Handel, Messiah: Amanda Forsythe (soprano), John Holiday (countertenor), Nicholas Phan (tenor), Kevin Deas (bass-baritone), Music of the Baroque Chorus, New York Philharmonic / Dame Jane Glover (conductor). David Geffen Hall, New York, 10.12.2025. (RP)
Midway through Messiah comes the chorus, ‘His yoke is easy, His burden is light’. Under Dame Jane Glover’s benevolent guidance, it had a wonderful weightlessness and buoyancy. The first of the New York Philharmonic’s three performances of Handel’s beloved oratorio had moments of great grandeur and power. It was the overall airy lightness and serenity, epitomized in this brief choral passage, that elevated it from a concert-going experience to a spiritual one.
Many factors contributed to the richness of the performance, but chief among them was the youthful, vibrant sound of the Music of the Baroque Chorus in its NY Phil debut. The artistic synergy between Glover and the singers is bred from familiarity: Glover has been the music director since 2002, with Andrew Megill serving as chorus master from 2022. The sound of the chorus may be light and fleet, but it also has warmth and depth. The latter was first revealed in ‘And the glory of the Lord’. ‘For unto us a child is born’ was a model of contrapuntal precision and clarity, while ‘Surely, He hath borne our griefs’ was one long phrase resonating with sorrow. ‘All we like sheep’ was sung at a fast clip, until the final measures when ‘the iniquity of us all’ emerged in a soft, slow, intense utterance.
The ‘Hallelujah Chorus’ rang out triumphantly. Most people stood, some violated protocol by overtly capturing the moment for posterity and, for a few couples, it seemed just the moment for a snuggle. ‘Worthy is the Lamb’ began softly and mysteriously. The chorus and orchestra created one seamless legato line that ratcheted the tension incrementally until climaxing with the power the text demands. The final Amens were bold and loud.
The NY Phil assembled a compelling quartet of soloists. Fashion-wise, the balance tipped toward soprano Amanda Forsythe in a massive, sparkling green gown and countertenor John Holiday in a remarkable deep gold ensemble. On the other side of the stage, tenor Nicholas Phan and bass-baritone Kevin Deas stuck to basic black.
Amanda Forsythe sang of the shepherds in the field, gently and serenely, which gave way to excitement and sparkle when telling of the multitude of angels that appeared at the birth of Christ. In ‘Come unto Him’, her high notes were clear and bell-like, especially in the exquisite vocal filigree with which she adorned the musical line. Rather than a grand declaration of faith, Forsythe sang ‘I know that my Redeemer liveth’ with a sense of pure delight. John Holiday’s voice was pure, sweet and beautiful. In ‘But who may abide’, he painted each word in a different vocal color, and his coloratura in ‘For He is like a refiner’s fire’ was fast and clean. The recitative, ‘Behold, a virgin shall conceive’, was another example of his singular ability to illuminate a text with vocal color. The countertenor lent an air of majesty to ‘He was despised’, notable for the emotion he generated by his deep connection to the text.
Nicholas Phan brought his peerless lyric tenor to bear on Handel’s music in a nuanced, dramatically subdued but powerful performance. He adorned ‘Comfort ye my people’ with graceful, emotion-laden ornamentation. ‘Ev’ry valley’ rang out in exaltation, while the penetrating clarity of his voice pierced ‘Thy rebuke hath broken his heart’ with pain. With his powerful bass-baritone, Kevin Deas instilled drama and grandeur in ‘Thus saith the Lord’. His clean articulation in dramatic moments was all the more impressive given the size of his voice. Deas brought the stateliness to ‘The people walked in darkness’ which, together with the vast depths of his lower range, heightened the mystery. ‘The trumpet shall sound’ rang out with clarity, revealing the evenness of his voice throughout its range.
The musicians of the NY Phil responded to Glover’s touch in much the same way as did the chorus, playing with lightness and finesse. As Handel intended, drama was created in the orchestra through orchestral color, particularly the trumpet and tympani. As with the chorus, the weightlessness of the orchestra’s playing added to the luster and emotional pull of the performance.
Instrumental soloists garnered their fair share of attention. Christopher Martin stood at the front of the orchestra for ‘The trumpet shall sound’, playing with gleaming tone and refinement. Violinists Sheryl Staples and Lisa E. Kim didn’t need to leave their seats to impress in the final chorus.
Rick Perdian
Featured Image: John Holiday (countertenor), Amanda Forsythe (soprano), Dame Jane Glover (conductor) and Nicholas Phan (tenor) with the NY Phil © Chris Lee