When the host of powerful voices soar at Vanier Hall this weekend, one of the featured soloists is a local singing star.
Melanie Nicol is one of four opera singers who get to stand on stage backed up by the Prince George Symphony Orchestra and the Prince George Cantata Singers to unleash The Messiah, the Christmas favourite that has thrilled audiences for the past 273 years.
George Frideric Handel composed The Messiah based on sections of the Bible, performed first in Dublin then in London and it soon swept the world. It is still a popularly performed piece and when Nicol was a student of the musical voice she had to learn parts of it as part of her classes.
"It is part of the curriculum because it is so widely done, it is such a common opportunity for an opera singer to get hired, and Handel wrote it for four very specific voice types, so almost everyone gets a chance to do it sometime in your career," Nicol said.
Her alto voice will be joined by soprano Bahareh Poureslami, tenor Andrew Robb and bass Alan Macdonald. The latter three are guests brought in to augment the local talent in the chorus, the musicians of the PGSO (almost always a mix of local and import players), and Nicol.
"It is a challenging piece because it was written to make the singers really have to understand their parts," Nicol said. "The alto part is in the lower section of the alto range. The same with the soprano part. The tenor part is quite high. So no matter what part you're singing, you need to find that bright voice within you or it just doesn't fit. I have to get my voice in shape for this part, to really nail down the placement. I have to make sure my voice is really forward in the upper part of the facial muscles, almost nasally, to find what singers call the 'ring and the ping' that gives the audience that impact that Handel wanted."
Unlike an opera, an oratorio has vocal performances only, not costumes and sets and acting involved. It allows the singers and orchestra to be on stage together, instead of the musicians hidden inside a pit. This makes for a blast of sound for the soloists, as the instruments and choir blow their sonic cannonballs straight past them. This adds to the sheer enjoyment of the experience, said Nicol, but also adds challenges.
"You have to communicate the text to the audience, but not sound like you're competing with the orchestra," she said.
On the other hand, there is no theatrical interaction between the singers. Other than a quasi-duet with Poureslami, Nicol sings her individual part like all four must do. Chemistry must be developed through camaraderie.
"The biggest relationship is between the singer and the conductor [the PGSO is led by Kevin Zakresky]," she explained. "The conductor controls your life up there. They are the go-between for the singers and the orchestra players. There are different functions and technical needs for each instrument and each section of instruments, so Kevin has to be that moderating force for us, to keep everyone working together."
The ensemble sweetly roars with the heavenly Handel's Messiah - two shows - one on Saturday evening and the other on Sunday afternoon, both at Vanier Hall. Tickets are on sale now at the PGSO office and Ticketmaster outlets.
