Handel’s Messiah in Grace Convention Centre, PJ | Conducted by Award-Winning Paul M Baker | 18 & 19 March | 8 PM

 

Handel’s famous oratorio Messiah is probably the most performed choral work in the world and certainly the most popular. With music by George Frederic Handel and original words in English compiled from The King James Bible by Charles Jennens, Messiah is perhaps the most musically comprehensive retelling of the story of Christ.

Messiah was completed in 1741 and was premiered in Dublin, Ireland in April 1742 in a private house with a small chorus and orchestra. On 23rd March 1743, it received its London premiere at the Covent Garden Theatre (with a slightly dampened reception as some believed the content matter was too sacred to be performed in a theatre) and is believed to have been attended by King George ll. Tradition has it that King George stood for the famous Hallelujah Chorus as a mark of respect for his own King – Our Lord & Saviour, prompting everyone else to stand in the king’s presence. Standing for The Hallelujah Chorus remains, especially in England, a tradition to this very day.

 

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Often presented in highlights, the Grace 2016 production will present “Messiah” in its entirety and aims to replicate as closely as possible those early London performances. It is slated to be quite possibly the finest ever performance of Messiah in Malaysia and a treat not to be missed. The “Handel Festival Singers”, the specialist baroque “Orchestra 1685” and four of the region’s top choral soloists have been drawn together and will be conducted by award winning British conductor and composer Paul M Baker.

 

Venue | Grace Convention Centre, Petaling Jaya

Date | 18 & 19 March 2016

Time | 8 PM

Ticket Price | RM 48

 

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Paul M Baker

 

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Paul M Baker is a well-known and highly respected figure within the Malaysian music, musical theatre and music education sector as a conductor, composer, performer and educator in addition to his work in the business side of the Malaysian music industry.

This full length performance of Handel’s Messiah is Paul’s second in Malaysia. The first was in 2009 at KLPac receiving both critical and audience acclaim.

 

Violinist Mayya Musaeva in Handel's Messiah. She was working as Concertmaster at The Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Tashkent, Uzbekistan when she was invited to join and assist in developing the National Symphony Orchestra of Malaysia in the year 1997.
Violinist Mayya Musaeva in Handel’s Messiah. She was working as Concertmaster at The Bolshoi Opera and Ballet Theatre of Tashkent, Uzbekistan when she was invited to join and assist in developing the National Symphony Orchestra of Malaysia in the year 1997.

 

His early musical life started in Barnet Church Choir which he joined at the age of seven and left at 14 having obtained the Royal School of Church Music’s most prestigious prize – The Saint Nicholas Award. At the age of 13, Paul played the title role of “Oliver” in London and has continued to combine his musical and theatrical experiences ever since.

At 16 Paul joined the Royal Marines School of Music studying French horn and Piano and spent the next ten years with Royal Marine Bands playing at state functions, concerts and touring the world. He participated in tours aboard HM Royal Yacht Britannia where he played for Queen ElizabethPrince Charles and others in the British Royal Family.

 

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Upon leaving the Marines he continued his career as a freelance French horn player, keyboardist and conductor and has since performed with many leading orchestras including The London Symphony, The Royal Philharmonic and the Welsh National Opera and has played in touring versions of major West End Musicals such as Les Miserables, The Sound of Music and Miss Saigon.

 

Chi Hoe Mak in Handel's Messiah. Chi currently enjoys a busy and varied career as an award-winning singer and choral conductor both in his native Malaysia and abroad
Chi Hoe Mak in Handel’s Messiah. Chi currently enjoys a busy and varied career as an award-winning singer and choral conductor both in his native Malaysia and abroad

 

Paul musically directed his first stage musical, Fiddler On The Roof at the age of only 22. He has since been Musical Director for over 30 stage musicals and oratorios. 

Within the contemporary music scene as horn player, keyboardist and musical director, He has worked with well-known artists such as George Michael, Michael Jackson, Tom Jones and Shirley Bassey.

Following his move to Malaysia in 2004, Paul has worked with artists such as Zainal Abidin and Sheila Majid and has given a number of solo french horn recitals, performed with the Malaysian National Symphony Orchestra and directed many orchestral, chamber, choral and musical theatre productions.

 

Ang Mei Foong in Handel's Messiah. She was the first prize winner of NTNU Vocal Concerto Competition of year 2002; 2nd prize winner of the Taiwan Rotary Club Artists’ Awards of year 2002; the 8th prize winner, as well as “the young talented singer” award winner of “Mondial Chinese Vocalists Concours 2003”. Recently she was awarded the “Silver Medal Winner Award- Outstanding Achievement” in the “Global Music Award, Oct 2014”.
Ang Mei Foong in Handel’s Messiah. She was the first prize winner of NTNU Vocal Concerto Competition of year 2002; 2nd prize winner of the Taiwan Rotary Club Artists’ Awards of year 2002; the 8th prize winner, as well as “the young talented singer” award winner of “Mondial Chinese Vocalists Concours 2003”. Recently she was awarded the “Silver Medal Winner Award- Outstanding Achievement” in the “Global Music Award, Oct 2014”.

 

In September 2009, Paul was appointed founding Principal of the new Bentley Music Academy in Mutiara Damansara. Thereafter he founded the Kuala Lumpur Youth Jazz Orchestra (KLYJO), the Harmonia Choir and Bentley Repertoire Orchestra, with whom he conducted numerous concerts.

As a composer, Paul has written many Christmas carols, hymns, chamber works, incidental music for plays etc but is perhaps best known in Malaysia for his award winning musical The Rising Son. A story of hope and forgiveness set in Japanese Occupied Perak. It premiered at Grace Convention Centre in April 2014, to much ovation and was subsequently voted the Audience Choice Award at the 2015 Boh Cameronian Arts Awards for Best Malaysian Musical of 2014.

 

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Yap Jin Han in Handel's Messiah. He (Tenor) holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from Louisiana State University and was a protégé of the noted American tenor, Robert Grayson. He has appeared in leading roles with a number of well-known opera companies in the United States, including Anatol in Vanessa with the Nevada Opera; Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville; and as Tamino in The Magic Flute with both Opera Louisiane and the Acadiana Symphony.
Yap Jin Han in Handel’s Messiah. He (Tenor) holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from Louisiana State University and was a protégé of the noted American tenor, Robert Grayson. He has appeared in leading roles with a number of well-known opera companies in the United States, including Anatol in Vanessa with the Nevada Opera; Count Almaviva in The Barber of Seville; and as Tamino in The Magic Flute with both Opera Louisiane and the Acadiana Symphony.

 

More recently in November 2015 Paul saw his Symphonic Suite for Wind Band Taiping, premiered in Portsmouth, England which was commissioned by the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines. Attended by many native Malaysians and the First Secretary to the Malaysian High Commission in the UK, Taiping was extremely well received and looks set for a Malaysian premiere in 2016.

Work in progress includes a new musical, Kosher Nostra, which charts the rise and fall of the Jewish Mafia in New York from the 1920’s to the 1960’s and loosely mirrors stories taken from the life of King David, a Requiem Mass for soloist’s, choir and orchestra and a song for mixed choir commissioned by the Taiping Heritage Society and St Georges School, Taiping. Taiping Rain Town Song will be performed for the first time in Taiping on 3rd April 2016.

 

Gabrielle Maes in Handel's Messiah. She is a Performer, Writer and Actor who has been nominated for Best Actor awards in Montreal. She was also winner of a Best Actor Award in the 2011 Boh Cameronian Arts Awards Malaysia, a past winner of Canadian Broadway Idol, a finalist in Broadway Idol, USA and was nominated for Most Inspirational Person at the Mont Kiara International School, Malaysia.
Gabrielle Maes in Handel’s Messiah. She is a Performer, Writer and Actor who has been nominated for Best Actor awards in Montreal. She was also winner of a Best Actor Award in the 2011 Boh Cameronian Arts Awards Malaysia, a past winner of Canadian Broadway Idol, a finalist in Broadway Idol, USA and was nominated for Most Inspirational Person at the Mont Kiara International School, Malaysia.

 

 

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