'Messiah' singalong attracts about 600 people

Gabriella Rollins, event producer,  emceed the event, retracing major points in Handel's life prior to producing this masterpiece. He was penniless and dejected when he spent a night out pondering the vagaries of life, when uplifting words came to his mind and he put pen to paper and fingers to keyboard to compose his signature piece. He worked night and day for the better part of a month at the end of summer 1741, and the piece was first produced the following year in Dublin.

The London public first heard it the following year and loved it so much that it has been performed annually ever since that date in numerous venues where it remains a holiday favorite. The simple orchestration allows even an orchestra of modest size to perform the piece, as does the four part chorus arrangement.

The Schirmer score is the classic, and complete scores were available for purchase or borrowing for the audience to sing along.

Glenn Phillip Wanke as Artistic Director and John Burdett of the Yorba Linda Orchestra both took turns conducting the excerpts. A dozen musicians and two dozen singers from various groups banded together to form the G.F. Handel Society Master Chorus and Society Orchestra with Lois Swedberg as creative director.

Twelve highlights were selected, with solos featuring tenor Greg Wood, bass Robbie Britt and soprano Clara Kim, accompanied by Ronda Rubio on the piano.

The audience sung heartily along, especially in the two most recognizable choruses, "For Unto Us" and rousing "Hallelujah," traditionally sung standing.