Robert Shaw -- "Messiah" Hallelujah Chorus

[Jacquie0414]

Fabulous....Robert Shaw conducting the ASO & Symphony Chorus was absolutely phenomenal. So glad this is available to enjoy again and again.

[ilyou8]

So, we have to do this for our holidays concert. OMG, I wish we sounded like this! <3

[mindonoverdrive]

In 1971 and '72 I particpated in the Young Peoples chorus directed by this great man. I looked forward to going back into the rehearsal room. A tough but gentle task master taught me well. Later I was able to on to NY to sing Igor Stravinsky's Mass. I credit Robert Shaw.

I miss him dearly.

[AnnieMarxdempsey]

Whoa....best version ever!

Robert Shaw was an amazing talent.

GOD be praised!!!

[Mr10inchnail]

excellant!!!!!!!!!!!!

[basketcaz]

Brilliant. In this song more than most the sopranos will either make or break it. Every one of these women must be able to sing a high F in order to pull off the beautiful high notes they did. Crisp, clean and powerful choir perfectly directed.

[patrick9648]

this is how its done

[Tan1723]

Oh man, I absolutely love how Robert Shaw slows the sopranos down at 2:17, it makes it so dramatic and unique.

[brucecab]

Love Robert Shaw, love ASO!

[QuietOneOnLine]

RIP - Robert Shaw (April 30, 1916 – January 25, 1999)

[chale529]

That was way too good to be live. Robert Shaw is the man.

[6271949]

Musical pefection; Robert Shaw, in my opinion come closest of all productions of this song and indeed, the entire Messiah. The only disappointing thing I found was that the audience did not stand as the music began; sort of a tradition and certainly respectful to Mr. Shaw, Handel and God.

[baritonebynight]

@6271949 I saw this done when I was a kid, but it seems a tradition that is vanishing. I personally like it myself.

[strokerman01]

This piece makes me wish god actually existed.

[ocnoreen]

@strokerman01 He Lives and He reigns. You just need to seek Him and ask Him to forgive you and tell Him that if He is real, to please reveal Himself to you. It will change your eternal destiny. He loves you.

[latinoheat604]

@strokerman01 Youre wish has come true, Cause God does exist :)

[mlevitt]

The finest rendition I've heard of this piece. Clear, precise, and above all, musical.

[6271949]

Robert Shaw and chorus attain the glory that this piece of music is intended to convey (even if it was really for "Easter"). Bravo to Robert Shaw and this great group. Beyond impressive. Closest to musically perfection I have heard to date.

[Natabung]

Way cool. Makes me miss choir a lot!

[bakayaroonna8]

Our Victorian caroling group did this a cappella, out in all kinds of weather, way back when.

[FantasticBabblings]

This is often done by choirs as turgid, bombastic choral sludge. Shaw presents it as it should be: a bright, crisp Baroque masterpiece.

[saimjoy]

LORD THROUGHOUT THE AGES !

Joy.

[patrick9648]

Having sung this, I can appreciate this version. very tight accurate voices with out "barking" from the men and "scooping" up to the note that sopranoes are notorious for.

I also like the slightly sped up tempo. Many directors have a tendency to drag the tempo. It ads a lightness and lilt to the piece that I really enjoy.

[dallymika]

God is wonderful

[ayrianara]

when i sang this song in middle school i was a saprano and i could hit those high notes i was so shocked!

[tunesmith68]

If you think that rising for this song is powerful, try seeing it from the choir's perspective. I had the rare privilege to be in a choir that sang this song and I got to see other people rise for it. It's very, very powerful and moving. God really moved in Handel when he wrote this piece. After all, He is the Author.

[fireredakara]

I admire this choir. We are learning it for it is a tradition for my choir's Christmas concert. Well throughout 2:12-? the sopranos gooo wayyyy up high and it's not hard to hit..they are just hard to make it sound right. Not to mention keeping correct diction! ;) There are a bunch of high notes on this sound...we are either really high or really low....and a little in the middle. :)

[rahul5422]

great song

[toder3]

This is one for us and the angels to listen

[djgaryman]

I get goosebumps every-time I hear this song.

[irishlass1245]

They are first sopranos....which mean they are hitting the highest notes...I sang this in choir since I was 14

[krinay1]

I wish there were more males in our choir...

[tigergirl1316]

this is a really great video my chorus teacher showed it to us so we could get a sense of a professional choir performing this piece and it was cool but also i think it will help us perform better than any year before since my school sings it every year as a tradition

[Vyoletpanda96]

I'm an alto in a school chorus and I'm impressed that sopranos can get so high at certain parts in this song.

[kiaoraguy]

Have to differ- sitting 15 rows back in the Conference Center at Temple Square and being enrobed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Orchestra at Temple Square- it is truly one of the great experiences of life, the entire audience in tears because of the majesty and soaring emotion that Handel blessed the world with- it has to be experienced first hand to fully understand- as close to a Heavenly Choir as we will ever see...

[kunatboi]

praise God for His talents..=) I pray that the true meaning of this song/composition was deep heartedly understood... God bless..(^_^)

[dranrebnor]

This is one of the best versions I have heard and seen!

[gracemei65]

Hallelujah to My God, my Lord, all man-kind Messiah, the savior. Amen !!

a Chinese Christian

[nerdface92]

@gracemei65 YES! praise God! HE is the MESSIAH! :)

[lia4627]

very impressive kaau xa...i could give a smile...

[Cle0Laine]

amazing!

[gramps2matt]

WOW! I realize this is from a performance over 20 yrs ago but it's still awesome. Of interest is how Mr. Shaw spaced his chorus out across the risers and not the usual choral CLUMP as I call it. Also the organ appears to be a mini tracker type.

[abbiesamuels]

@gramps2matt music nerd... JK. It's cool you know so much! :D

[MandyJMaddison]

Regardless of the association with George II, people usually stand, either as an act of worship or to honour the composer. Either way, it seems a bit slack not to!

[panabrass]

Incredible..........!!!

[sharksfinnn]

i need to find the altos only

[jngwatson]

Fabulous! 

[Ignod]

Wonderful rendition. Performed with grace and beauty. Shaw and company sure does Handel proud.

[mettaxa]

top

[boyeliott]

umm they sound great but just listen to those tenors. tenor pride

[foodmore]

I love atlanta symphony orchestra and chorus. Their Carmina Burana is the best i've heard so far.

[LaPointeAZ]

It's amazing Hallelujah means- a Hebrew word meaning "Praise Yahweh". Yahweh is the old hebrew for God's name, so many really don't realize he has a personal name. Some try to make it a title but it's not

[rosita914]

As awesome as this sounded, I was disappointed in the audience not standing during the performance of this. Since King George II's time, it's been a tradition for the audience to stand during the Hallelujah chorus.

Either way, this still sounded awesome, regardless of what the audience does.

[drobin3149]

@rosita914 I wasn't aware that is was customary to stand. I thought this piece was too magnificent to sit. Thanks.

[drobin3149]

@rosita914 I wasn't aware that is was customary to stand. I thought this piece was too magnificent to sit. Thanks.

[FlygonFriend76]

speechless!

[PaulaRector]

I was there in 1987! A most outstanding performance conducted by the great Robert Shaw.  I will never forget!

[muhdizgleet]

THIS IS WHAT Handel was talking about Baby!! clear, sharp, concise, speed, smaller chorus & orchestra ... Handel is smiling.

[m8roth]

The Robert Shaw Chamber Singers sing Christmas carols as well as any choral gorup.

[m8roth]

Robert Shaw was a man with a very fine ear for music.

[zekabuche]

Absolutely beautiful!!! i love it.

[baritonebynight]

This is the way it is supposed to sound.

[Liz6161953]

THANK YOU SO MUCH ! LOVED IT !!!

[1961Marta]

God bless you !!!!!  and Merry Christmas for you.

[alaskachica1]

we sing this every year at the christmas concert. =] i abolutely love the power this piece has.

[christophersanton]

My God that's fast

[ttlms]

@christophersanton A little brisk, yes.

[bwayguy17]

@christophersanton not as fast as some conductors take it.

[katy484]

This is the gold standard as to how the chorus should be sung. Perfect pitch and tempo. Absolutely gorgeous! Thanks for uploading!

[xXMizzyTwizzyXx]

my choir is singing this also. im a soprano. LOVE this song!

[MysteryAndroclese401]

That was awesome! Too bad we didn't have an orchestra accompaniment when we did ours last Sunday! I wish I could reach as high as those tenors without straining! [it shouldn't be too hard, but reaching that high and sounding tall at the same time is!] [usually I can hit that high and sound good no problem]

[josparkes1]

Glorious

[davidwwwbro]

I love this song!!

[stiv2slava]

Choruses of all levels can make this piece sound good beacuse Handel was a master of, in this case, simplicity. Robert Shaw's chorus sounded so good because of his meticulous attention to detail. Notice particularly the tempo and subtle alteration of it at certain points in the music which all serve the dramatic effect of the movement.

[codygx123]

our choris in school is doing this its sounds almost as good as this

[everton26ful]

simplemente grandioso!!!

[bookworm261]

ah! im playing this at school (violin), anybody have any advice?

[archeryguy1121]

practice, practice, practice

[SingingFool123]

my chorus is singing this and i love being a soprano in it lol

[popertop]

those sopranos sound hot

[TheGalaxyOwner]

@popertop

So Ture!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[kerrymckeighan]

@popertop more like mature in voice!

[sayaandserenarocks]

@popertop yeah and those notes r hard to hit! i have to sing this song for choir its hard i admire them they r soo loud! and u can understand them!

[xBabaO94x]

@sayaandserenarocks i know! i'm a soprano and i know i can't pronounce the words on those top notes.

[jennie12ish]

@popertop All have great voices and I'm totally impresed. Wish I could have been there singing as well.

[jimraw1]

@jennie12ish So do I. For me Shaw was the greatest choral conductor of his time - one who managed to push his groups to maximum effort to achieve that huge sound he wanted. I love the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and John Rutter is amazing with what he does with a small choir, but I always wanted to sing for Robert Shaw - even if was a tyrant.

[Kro0895]

they're really qoodd =)

[animanatural]

¡cuánta energía y alegría de Robert Shaw en esta interpretación! grandes músicos en un tema inmortal de Haendel.

[elpionero9]

de donde es este coro!! es buenisimo!

[animanatural]

me parece que es la coral Robert Shaw de estados unidos, es excelente!

[dvora072096]

Brings back memories of the Shaw/ASO Messiah sing-along evenings when I studied at Emory... unforgettable!

[JMOSABRES]

He is RISEN!!! ALLELUIA !!!

[micahr13]

Excellent, well done, I love Shaw's music and it is so well done. This piece especially is such a beautiful, gorgeous piece that I still sing it even not at Christmastime :)

[baritonebynight]

Excellent!!

[pilipinasmabuhay100]

Merry Christmas to all!

[Chel093086]

Thanks for putting this back on youtube. I missed it dearly.

[yoshiofdeath]

Robert Shaw (chorus) has one of the best versions of Hallelujah ever (ranks up with London Philharmonic and Philadelphia Orchestra versions). Also, check out Helmuth Rilling's version.

[west7689]

I absolutely agree. I have both Shaw's ASO recording as well as Leonard Bernstein's NY Philharmonic recording- in my opinion, Shaw's is a lot better.

[al1936ful]

@yoshiofdeath Do you have the whole "Messiah" on video done by Robert Shaw?

[basketcaz]

Brilliant. In this song more than most the sopranos will either make or break it. Every one of these women must be able to sing a high F in order to pull off the beautiful high notes they did. Crisp, clean and powerful choir.

[HectorJW2007]

Shaw! Excellent!

[myoozicgeek]

SHAW!

[irrationalobserver]

Excellent.