Do-It-Yourself Messiah, A Reminiscence

I read news that WFMT, Chicago's classical music radio station, was going to discontinue its Do-It-Yourself Messiah, an event they had been presenting since 1976. During one holiday season many years ago Donna and her friend Nancy Sivak were members of the amateur chorus. I asked Nancy to share her memories of that special time:

"40- ish years ago…memories of…The Do It Yourself Messiah …with this qualifier: i do not bet my life on all of these details from decades ago… that said, here goes. 

Orchestra Hall is what being in a church should feel like…for the diym (do-it-yourself Messiah), only the soloists are paid …  orchestra members are volunteers who have played together- never before…… the orchestra rehearses only three times, prior to the night of performance …. > 2,500 singers, of widely ranging talent, training, experience…. The common / golden thread through all of the event is love of Handel’s Messiah…this chicago diym was directed by the goddess, Margaret Hillis…getting tickets, through WFMT’s pledge drive was like winning the lottery…all seating- from the main floor to the upper balcony is evenly divided into the four voices -as viewed from the stage, starting at the Left: bass, tenor, alto, soprano…

 

i had long loved the most familiar choruses from the work- but was never exposed to the entire Oratorio, and  ***could not read music ***… My friend, Donna, who btw, had the most musical laugh i have ever, even to this day, heard in my life….taught me the alto part for the choruses, by tape recording-this was  40 yrs ago, remember- her voice, singing along with a recording of each chorus of the work… once i could clearly hear the alto notes in these harmonies, thanks to Donna, we were good to go. 

The performance night… as the outer  lobby of Orchestra Hall filled with joyful people, anticipating a musical extravaganza of spiritual proportions, someone would start a seasonal carol, it would fill the space… be replaced with another,  until the doors opened.. . Singers, like kids, hurried… to fill every seat in the house… 

and it was electrically wonderful. 

Donna said, “it would have been fun, anyway, but with you it was a circus.”  Great fun."

Thanks so much to Nancy Sivak for sharing this reminiscence. Nancy sent along this YouTube link to a video documenting the 1978 Do-It-Yourself Messiah performance at Orchestra Hall.

On January 25, 1978 Studs Terkel discussed the Do-It-Yourself Messiah with Al Booth and Margaret Hillis. Here is a recording of that discussion.

Pasted below is WFMT's September 26, 2024 announcement.

For many years, our Do-It-Yourself Messiah has brought together music lovers from across Chicago to sing and celebrate Handel’s beloved work. As one of the first sing-along Messiah events in the city, it has been an integral part of Chicago’s holiday traditions. However, in recent years, a number of organizations have introduced their own sing-along Messiah programs, providing numerous opportunities for participation across the city. Given this vibrant landscape, we feel the time is right to pass the baton and focus our energy on new initiatives that align more closely with our mission.