The Young Messiah
Encyclopedia
The Young Messiah, originally titled Messiah XXI For a New Millennium, is a musical production of a modern adaptation of George Frideric Handel
's oratorio Messiah
, which was filmed in Ireland
for the New Millennium
. It was produced and arranged by Frank McNamara
, who also conducted the orchestra and chorus. The cast includes Gladys Knight
, Chaka Khan
, Roger Daltrey
, Jeffrey Osborne
, the Irish Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir and the Visual Ministry Gospel Choir. The production includes a narration, Beware of False Prophets, which was written by Frank McGuinness
and performed by Aidan Quinn
. The music integrates gospel, rock and soul sounds. In October 2006, the musical production was released on CD and DVD.
as one of its flagship programs for the Millennium TV schedule. Séamus Brennan, T.D., chairman of the National Millennium Committee, felt that this production would have national significance and would appeal to all ages. He said: "There are many reasons why the Millennium Committee felt this was a musical event worthy of substantial support. It felt Messiah XXI will capture much of the excitement and anticipation the Millennium
is generating while at the same time being an entirely appropriate modern day celebration of the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ
. The fact it will be screened by RTÉ means virtually the entire population will have an opportunity to see it. It comes at a time when Irish music is flourishing and I am confident it will also receive considerable international attention. Another landmark aspect is that it is being performed for the first time in Dublin which obviously has direct historical links with Handel
's original Messiah, also first performed in the city, 257 years ago."
The event was organized by Messiah XXI Productions, which included directors John Kearns and Bernard Bennett, who produced Faith of Our Fathers and Frank McNamara, an arranger and producer best known at that time for his work as the music director of RTE's The Late Late Show
and The Irish Tenors. Leading international TV director, Bill Cosel, was hired to direct the TV coverage. RTÉ hired Paula Farrell
, the Eurovision set designer, to design the set. Joe Canavan was hired as lighting designer. The Executive Producer for RTÉ was Peter Feeney. The RTÉ used its largest outside broadcast unit in filming this event. The event cost IR£1.4 million (or about US$2 million) to stage and also featured a spectacular light and sound extravaganza. The production was a labor of love for the three producers, McNamara, Kearns and Bennett, who between them personally contributed a substantial portion of the budget.
John Kearns, a director of Messiah XXI Productions, said: "Our inspiration for Messiah XXI obviously came from Handel's original masterpiece and its appropriate links with the millennium
and the celebration of 2,000 years of Christianity
. By re-interpreting the music in a modern idiom, with popular artists, this new version will, in our view, be immediately accessible to a much wider audience. It will allow the nation at large to discover and enjoy an important part of our musical heritage, which will stand forever on audio and visual media as a reminder of our marking of the Millennium in Ireland.
"Messiah XXI will also achieve international attention and recognition as the Irish nation's contribution to the world-wide celebrations by means of international TV coverage which has been facilitated by RTE. We are indebted to RTE for their considerable support. We are delighted too with the encouragement we have received from all the churches as this will be an ecumenical and cross-border event, with a huge choir being drawn from both territories on the island."
Two gala performances took place in Dublin, Ireland on December 4, 1999, and December 5, 1999. In addition to being broadcast during Ireland's Millennium TV schedule, the show has been shown on PBS stations throughout the United States
. On October 18, 2002, Frank McNamara staged and produced a performance of Messiah XXI in Warsaw
, Poland
as part of a Gala Event for the President of Poland and dignitaries.
asked the arranger and producer Frank McNamara
what he had done with Handel's masterpiece.
"In some parts of the work I've done very little alteration to the original, in other places really quite a lot. You could say I have modernised it, contemporised it and certainly made it more accessible to a broader audience. I have lost a lot of the repetition that was in the original because in today's MTV
world of the 10 second audience attention span it simply didn't hold up.
"At the most drastic, I've added some tunes which are, of course, based on Handel's originals. Probably the most noticeable change is that I have added a rhythm section, what one of the event's producers John Kearns refers to as the rock'n'soul element of the piece, and there are electric guitars involved! I think I have preserved the energy of Handel's original, and hope that I have added to it in a tasteful way."
As to what Maestro McNamara did with the showstopper of the show, Hallelujah, he said "It is a little different in that I have added a couple of solo lines at the beginning. Then it falls back into the original melody with, of course, a rock beat. Then, in the middle, I introduce a gospel-style piece with a gospel group before returning to Handel's original. It is such a strong piece of music it really would be like trying to reinvent the wheel if it was changed too much."
As to the charges that he was a musical vandal, he totally rejected them, saying "I come from a classical music background, and I have an honours degree in music from Trinity College
. Those who are criticising me are completely missing the point. Messiah XXI is not intended to replace The Messiah. It is simply a new version, like the remake of a film. West Side Story
did little damage to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
; Pygmalion
became My Fair Lady
and nobody complained."
George Frideric Handel
George Frideric Handel was a German-British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel was born in 1685, in a family indifferent to music...
's oratorio Messiah
Messiah (Handel)
Messiah is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible and the Book of Common Prayer. It was first performed in Dublin on 13 April 1742, and received its London premiere nearly a year later...
, which was filmed in Ireland
Ireland
Ireland is an island to the northwest of continental Europe. It is the third-largest island in Europe and the twentieth-largest island on Earth...
for the New Millennium
New Millennium
The New Millennium was a term used in the 1990s to describe the coming of the 21st century and 3rd millennium, popularly beginning in 2000 but actually beginning in 2001. It was also used in the 2000s decade, especially in the early 2000s, to describe the present times....
. It was produced and arranged by Frank McNamara
Frank McNamara (musician)
Frank McNamara is an internationally known arranger, conductor, composer, and pianist from Ireland.-Biography:His career began at the age of 11, when he first appeared on Irish national television. Frank attended Trinity College, Dublin, where he graduated with music honors...
, who also conducted the orchestra and chorus. The cast includes Gladys Knight
Gladys Knight
Gladys Maria Knight , known as the "Empress of Soul", is an American singer-songwriter, actress, businesswoman, humanitarian, and author...
, Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan
Chaka Khan , frequently known as the Queen of Funk, is a 10-time Grammy Award winning American singer-songwriter who gained fame in the 1970s as the frontwoman and focal point of the funk band Rufus. While still a member of the group in 1978, Khan embarked on a successful solo career...
, Roger Daltrey
Roger Daltrey
Roger Harry Daltrey, CBE , is an English singer and actor, best known as the founder and lead singer of English rock band The Who. He has maintained a musical career as a solo artist and has also worked in the film industry, acting in a large number of films, theatre and television roles and also...
, Jeffrey Osborne
Jeffrey Osborne
Jeffrey Linton Osborne is an American funk and R&B musician, songwriter, lyricist, and former lead singer of the band, L.T.D.-Early life and career:...
, the Irish Philharmonic Orchestra & Choir and the Visual Ministry Gospel Choir. The production includes a narration, Beware of False Prophets, which was written by Frank McGuinness
Frank McGuinness
Professor Frank McGuinness is an award-winning Irish playwright and poet. As well as his own works, which include Observe the Sons of Ulster Marching Towards the Somme, he is recognised for a "strong record of adapting literary classics, having translated the plays of Racine, Sophocles, Ibsen and...
and performed by Aidan Quinn
Aidan Quinn
-Early life:Quinn was born in Chicago, Illinois to Irish parents. He was brought up as a Roman Catholic and raised in Chicago and Rockford, Illinois, as well as in Dublin and Birr, County Offaly in Ireland. His mother, Teresa, was a homemaker, and his father, Michael Quinn, was a professor of...
. The music integrates gospel, rock and soul sounds. In October 2006, the musical production was released on CD and DVD.
Background
On October 5, 1999, the National Millennium Committee in Ireland committed the sum of IR£700,000 to fund the production of Messiah XXI For a New Millennium to be broadcast by the RTÉRTE
RTÉ is the abbreviation for Raidió Teilifís Éireann, the public broadcasting service of the Republic of Ireland.RTE may also refer to:* Recep Tayyip Erdoğan, 25th Prime Minister of Turkey...
as one of its flagship programs for the Millennium TV schedule. Séamus Brennan, T.D., chairman of the National Millennium Committee, felt that this production would have national significance and would appeal to all ages. He said: "There are many reasons why the Millennium Committee felt this was a musical event worthy of substantial support. It felt Messiah XXI will capture much of the excitement and anticipation the Millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
is generating while at the same time being an entirely appropriate modern day celebration of the 2000th anniversary of the birth of Christ
Christ
Christ is the English term for the Greek meaning "the anointed one". It is a translation of the Hebrew , usually transliterated into English as Messiah or Mashiach...
. The fact it will be screened by RTÉ means virtually the entire population will have an opportunity to see it. It comes at a time when Irish music is flourishing and I am confident it will also receive considerable international attention. Another landmark aspect is that it is being performed for the first time in Dublin which obviously has direct historical links with Handel
HANDEL
HANDEL was the code-name for the UK's National Attack Warning System in the Cold War. It consisted of a small console consisting of two microphones, lights and gauges. The reason behind this was to provide a back-up if anything failed....
's original Messiah, also first performed in the city, 257 years ago."
The event was organized by Messiah XXI Productions, which included directors John Kearns and Bernard Bennett, who produced Faith of Our Fathers and Frank McNamara, an arranger and producer best known at that time for his work as the music director of RTE's The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show
The Late Late Show, sometimes referred to as The Late Late, or in some cases by the acronym LLS, is the world's longest-running chat show by the same broadcaster and the official flagship television programme of Irish broadcasting company RTÉ...
and The Irish Tenors. Leading international TV director, Bill Cosel, was hired to direct the TV coverage. RTÉ hired Paula Farrell
Paula Farrell
Paula Farrell is an Irish production designer. She is perhaps best known for her work on the Eurovision Song Contest in 1988, 1994 and 1997.-External links:...
, the Eurovision set designer, to design the set. Joe Canavan was hired as lighting designer. The Executive Producer for RTÉ was Peter Feeney. The RTÉ used its largest outside broadcast unit in filming this event. The event cost IR£1.4 million (or about US$2 million) to stage and also featured a spectacular light and sound extravaganza. The production was a labor of love for the three producers, McNamara, Kearns and Bennett, who between them personally contributed a substantial portion of the budget.
John Kearns, a director of Messiah XXI Productions, said: "Our inspiration for Messiah XXI obviously came from Handel's original masterpiece and its appropriate links with the millennium
Millennium
A millennium is a period of time equal to one thousand years —from the Latin phrase , thousand, and , year—often but not necessarily related numerically to a particular dating system....
and the celebration of 2,000 years of Christianity
Christianity
Christianity is a monotheistic religion based on the life and teachings of Jesus as presented in canonical gospels and other New Testament writings...
. By re-interpreting the music in a modern idiom, with popular artists, this new version will, in our view, be immediately accessible to a much wider audience. It will allow the nation at large to discover and enjoy an important part of our musical heritage, which will stand forever on audio and visual media as a reminder of our marking of the Millennium in Ireland.
"Messiah XXI will also achieve international attention and recognition as the Irish nation's contribution to the world-wide celebrations by means of international TV coverage which has been facilitated by RTE. We are indebted to RTE for their considerable support. We are delighted too with the encouragement we have received from all the churches as this will be an ecumenical and cross-border event, with a huge choir being drawn from both territories on the island."
Two gala performances took place in Dublin, Ireland on December 4, 1999, and December 5, 1999. In addition to being broadcast during Ireland's Millennium TV schedule, the show has been shown on PBS stations throughout the United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
. On October 18, 2002, Frank McNamara staged and produced a performance of Messiah XXI in Warsaw
Warsaw
Warsaw is the capital and largest city of Poland. It is located on the Vistula River, roughly from the Baltic Sea and from the Carpathian Mountains. Its population in 2010 was estimated at 1,716,855 residents with a greater metropolitan area of 2,631,902 residents, making Warsaw the 10th most...
, Poland
Poland
Poland , officially the Republic of Poland , is a country in Central Europe bordered by Germany to the west; the Czech Republic and Slovakia to the south; Ukraine, Belarus and Lithuania to the east; and the Baltic Sea and Kaliningrad Oblast, a Russian exclave, to the north...
as part of a Gala Event for the President of Poland and dignitaries.
Performances
- Overture - Irish Philharmonic Orchestra
- Beware of False Prophets (reading) - Aidan Quinn
- Comfort Ye - Jeffrey Osborne
- Thus Saith the Lord - Chaka Khan with members of The Visual Ministry Gospel Choir
- But Who May Abide - Gladys Knight
- Behold the Virgin Shall Conceive - Gladys Knight
- Oh Thou That Tellest Good Tidings - Gladys Knight with the Irish Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus
- Imagine (reading) - Aidan Quinn
- There Were Shepherds/The Angel of the Lord/Glory to God in the Highest - Jeffrey Osborne, Gladys Knight with the Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus and the Visual Ministry Gospel Choir
- Then Shall the Eyes of the Blind/He Shall Feed His Flock/Come Unto Him - Jeffrey Osborne, Gladys Knight and Roger Daltrey
- His Yoke is Easy - Irish Philharmonic Orchestra and Chorus and The Visual Ministry Gospel Choir
- Don't Let It Break Your Heart (reading) - Aidan Quinn
- Surely - The Visual Ministry Gospel Choir
- Lift Up Ye Gates - Irish Philharmonic Orchestra & Chorus
- How Beautiful Are The Feet - Jeffrey Osborne
- Hallelujah Reprise - All Artists
- I Know My Redeemer Liveth - Gladys Knight
- Do You Still Believe? (reading) - Aidan Quinn
- The Trumpet Shall Sound - Chaka Khan with The Visual Ministry Gospel Choir
- Death Where is Thy Sting/Thanks Be to God - All Artists
- Hallelujah - All Artists
Act of Musical Sacrilege
Although there have been other interpretations of Handel's masterpiece by other classical musicians, including Mozart's re-orchestration, some classical music circles considered the planning of this adaptation to be an act of musical sacrilege. The Irish IndependentIrish Independent
The Irish Independent is Ireland's largest-selling daily newspaper that is published in both compact and broadsheet formats. It is the flagship publication of Independent News & Media.-History:...
asked the arranger and producer Frank McNamara
Frank McNamara (musician)
Frank McNamara is an internationally known arranger, conductor, composer, and pianist from Ireland.-Biography:His career began at the age of 11, when he first appeared on Irish national television. Frank attended Trinity College, Dublin, where he graduated with music honors...
what he had done with Handel's masterpiece.
"In some parts of the work I've done very little alteration to the original, in other places really quite a lot. You could say I have modernised it, contemporised it and certainly made it more accessible to a broader audience. I have lost a lot of the repetition that was in the original because in today's MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
world of the 10 second audience attention span it simply didn't hold up.
"At the most drastic, I've added some tunes which are, of course, based on Handel's originals. Probably the most noticeable change is that I have added a rhythm section, what one of the event's producers John Kearns refers to as the rock'n'soul element of the piece, and there are electric guitars involved! I think I have preserved the energy of Handel's original, and hope that I have added to it in a tasteful way."
As to what Maestro McNamara did with the showstopper of the show, Hallelujah, he said "It is a little different in that I have added a couple of solo lines at the beginning. Then it falls back into the original melody with, of course, a rock beat. Then, in the middle, I introduce a gospel-style piece with a gospel group before returning to Handel's original. It is such a strong piece of music it really would be like trying to reinvent the wheel if it was changed too much."
As to the charges that he was a musical vandal, he totally rejected them, saying "I come from a classical music background, and I have an honours degree in music from Trinity College
Trinity College, Dublin
Trinity College, Dublin , formally known as the College of the Holy and Undivided Trinity of Queen Elizabeth near Dublin, was founded in 1592 by letters patent from Queen Elizabeth I as the "mother of a university", Extracts from Letters Patent of Elizabeth I, 1592: "...we...found and...
. Those who are criticising me are completely missing the point. Messiah XXI is not intended to replace The Messiah. It is simply a new version, like the remake of a film. West Side Story
West Side Story (film)
West Side Story is a 1961 musical film directed by Robert Wise and Jerome Robbins. The film is an adaptation of the 1957 Broadway musical of the same name, which in turn was adapted from William Shakespeare's play Romeo and Juliet. It stars Natalie Wood, Richard Beymer, Russ Tamblyn, Rita Moreno,...
did little damage to Shakespeare's Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet
Romeo and Juliet is a tragedy written early in the career of playwright William Shakespeare about two young star-crossed lovers whose deaths ultimately unite their feuding families. It was among Shakespeare's most popular archetypal stories of young, teenage lovers.Romeo and Juliet belongs to a...
; Pygmalion
Pygmalion (play)
Pygmalion: A Romance in Five Acts is a play by Irish playwright George Bernard Shaw. Professor of phonetics Henry Higgins makes a bet that he can train a bedraggled Cockney flower girl, Eliza Doolittle, to pass for a duchess at an ambassador's garden party by teaching her to assume a veneer of...
became My Fair Lady
My Fair Lady (film)
My Fair Lady is a 1964 musical film adaptation of the Lerner and Loewe stage musical, of the same name, based on the 1938 film adaptation of the original stage play Pygmalion by George Bernard Shaw. The ballroom scene and the ending were taken from the previous film adaptation , rather than from...
and nobody complained."