Judas Maccabaeus

When you are at home around the clock, you begin to pay new attention to what has always been there around you. At least that is what is happening for me. In particular, I have started to explore an archive of old cassette tapes, and finding treasures there. One such treasure is a recording of a performance of Handel's Orartorio, Judas Maccabaeus by the Brattleboro Community Chorus on May 22, 1994 at the Persons Auditorium, Marlboro College. I've had these tapes all these years, but I don't remember ever listening to them. Maybe I did back in 1994, but  very possibly not, because the spring of 1994 was when the Guilford church was going into high gear in the project to move and enlarge the church, and I was up to my ears in the project - and at times over my head!  So I may have gotten these tapes, put them away, was too busy to listen to them, and they have sat forgotten in a case in a closet for 26 years. What is ironic about this is that I was the bass soloist for  this performance. It is the only recording I have of me singing as a soloist with a chamber orchestra. I sang three Arias and two Recitatives in this performance. I think I was the only "amateur" among the five soloists - I know at least three of them are "professional" singers today - Kristin Carmichael, Brad Diamond and Louise Fauteux. Ellen and I just listened to the entire performance, and these soloists are good! But so am I, by golly! So I'm going to digitize these tapes and make a nicely packaged CD of them. I'll have more to say about this in future posts.

The Judas Maccabaeus tapes