a COVID Messiah

With perhaps one exception, I have managed to play Messiah every year since 1993, sometimes as many as three times in a year. Whether continuo at the harpsichord, continuo at the organ, single player at the organ or piano, or playing the organ "cattle prod" at a singalong, I am grateful that the performances keep coming my way. This music never gets old, and although it is some of the most difficult non-keyboard music I have ever played, the hard work each year is worth it. This year, 2020, marked a new incarnation: a virtual, pre-recorded performance, the brainchild of Melody Beaty at First Presbyterian, Statesville, N.C. This is my hometown, and I was reunited with a few old friends during the shoot. The organ is the oldest Casavant in the state (1925), rebuilt and enlarged by Casavant in 2016. Please enjoy, and ignore the mistakes.