Sandscript

As a teenager I went with my family and a boyfriend to Winthrop Hall, University of Western Australia; we were there for a performance of the Messiah. The boyfriend had no idea what to expect and was totally stunned and thrilled; it was the first performance I had heard live and the work has never lost its magic for me.
For many people Messiah is an important part of Christmas and I have just been to a performance by Bournemouth Symphony Orchestra and the Bournemouth Symphony Chorus. A wonderful evening; from the bloomingly pregnant soprano to the gorgeous counter tenor, all life was there.
During the Hallelujah Chorus the audience all stood. Whether you believe this tradition started because the King stood up to acknowledge a Being far greater than himself or because he had cramp in his leg; whether people stand from reverence, out of respect for a great composer, or because everyone else is, for one moment at Christmas people are united on a higher plane.