Handel's Messiah Sing/Play In

I have not yet gotten up the courage to play at our local Messiah Sing In/Play In, but I did attend this year, in part because I really want to play next year. It is a lot of music, and, as a cellist friend of mine who did play said, "It's relentless. You just keep playing." Nevertheless, she and others enjoyed it immensely. Another cellists friend showed me where to get free sheet music online:

http://scores.ccarh.org/handel/messiah/

and the cellist who played loaned me her own copy of the music so I would know which sections are played. The cellists use the Carl Fischer version.

Many towns and cities have Messiah Sing-ins with accompaniment by professional (or good amateur) orchestras or quartets. I think it is unusual for the orchestra to be "drop-in" too. Any string player who wants to play can play. This year there were three cellists, three violinists, and a violist, as well as a baroque trumpet player. There is a only one short rehearsal an hour or so before the public performance.

I wrote an article for the paper, and the people I interviewed encouraged me to play next year. So I will. I have a whole year to work on this--and some friends who want to try it too. In the past, the orchestra consisted of as many as 20 musicians. I hope we can approach that number next year. The bigger the better, as far as me and my cello are concerned!