Page 10-The Michigan Daily - Friday, November 30, 1990 G. F. Handel rolls over Ann Arbor by Christine Cipriani G eorg Friedrich Handel would probably roll happily around in his grave if he knew what the perfor- mances of his Messiah do to Hill Auditorium every year. Amid a long line of poinsettias, over 200 for- mally-clad singers and musicians and an atmosphere of great anticipation, the Messiah continues to transfix Ann Arbor audiences (indeed, audi- ences everywhere) in welcome con- trast to its original lukewarm recep- tion in 1742. The University Choral Union, with guest soloists, and the Ann Ar- bor Symphony Orchestra will again usher in the holiday season with Handel's masterpiece this weekend, continuing a tradition begun in 1879 by local choir members. Thomas Hilbish, the interim director of the Choral Union, says that "For some CAMPUS Continued from page 9 A well-directed fantasy film dis- tinguishes in the way it portrays good and evil and how it relates its portrayal to reality. In Highlander director Russell Mulcahy condemns war, not with speeches on the evils of war, but with a battle scene from medieval Scotland. Two clans line up on either side of a small valley, people, it's not Christmas without the Messiah." The Messiah is an oratorio - a sacred or epic text arranged for cho- rus, soloists and orchestra - focus- ing on the life, and particularly the birth, of Christ. Its appeal transcends religious boundaries, though, be- cause Handel's music itself is so stirring and powerful that the listener cannot help but be drawn in, moved and taken on a journey through time. A shining example of music from the Baroque period, the Mes- siah combines massive strength, gorgeous delicacy, and everything in between for a wonderfully rich musi- cal offering and the shifting of the spotlight from the vocal soloists to the choir to the orchestra adds still more texture. Hilbish insists that a performance of the Messiah "would be just as lovely in the basement of a church." It is the "wedding" of the inspiring religious text to the beautiful music that keeps people coming back for more, he says. In Hill Auditorium, though, the musicians' efforts are rewarded acoustically to the fullest possible extent and there is the added excite- ment of having a packed house of 4200 people share each musical moment. An interesting custom of the University Musical Society is to hand out music to the famous "Hallelujah" chorus, encouraging ev- eryone present to stand up and join in during this joyful segment. This is one of the evening's highlights; the size of the crowd not only makes the music more intense and powerful but allows those not endowed with vast operatic talent to belt happily away without fear of offending any- one. This year's concert promises to be an excellent one. Soloists Elizabeth Knighton Printy, Drew Minter, Paul Groves and Stephen Bryant will be in town for the oc- casion and Hilbish says of the Choral Union, "The esprit de corps within the group is tremendous." Regardless of one's religious persuasions (or lack thereof) or general musical tastes, the Messiah is a glorious experience. Maybe Handel does know... HANDEL'S MESSIAH will be performed Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. in Hill Auditorium. Tickets prices range from $5 to $16 and are available from the Univer- sity Musical Society in Burton Tower. draw their swords, and charge at each other. The resulting image of a horde of Zorro wannabes in skirts charging each other like two football teams after the kickoff strikes the viewer as absurd and the essential reality of the battle links this absurdity to war in general. Highlander is being shown in MLB 3 at 7:30 p.m. and 9:45 p.m. on Saturday. -Jon Rosenthal The University of Michigan SCHOOL OF MUSIC GIL Continued from page 9 AmeriKKKa's current civil war would surely burn. Lyrics such as "Tell me, what's the word? From Johannesburg?" and "We beg your, pardon, America, because the pardon was never yours to give" will forever illuminate "The Other Side," as Se- crets provided in the early '80s. Even as Scott-Heron seemed to be mellowing out with The Revolu- tion...'s immediate successor, The First Minute Of a New Day, his scathing wit and almost prophetic vision would only grow stronger. His newly formed Midnight Band ac- tually improved on the empathic mellowness of his earlier band, with flute by Hubert Laws and piano by Scott-Heron's first partner in music, Ron Carter. "Winter in America" is so beautifully evocative and brood- ing with its synthesizer and flute ar- rangement that it sends chills of emotion down my back. Yet Scott-Heron actually im- proved on the rhapsody and killer bassline of "Revolution" with Reflections and his overwhelmingly brilliant satire of the presidency of Ronald Reagan, "B-Movie." The bass thumps ominously with the an- tagonistic rhythms that centuries of western time could never destroy, while Gil prods his chorus with a menacing tone, "This ain't really your life, ain't really your life, ain't really, nothin' but a movie." Nowadays, he begins his shows with equally sharp dialogues about the continued decline of western civilization, whether it be the irrelevance of weathermen or the ironic ineffectuality of February as Black history month. At his most recent show in Detroit, he delivered a stingingly funny lecture on the science of getting paid for anything, or rather, the usage of an -ology. Gil Scott-Heron is a bluesolo- gist. Is he jaded? Hell no, he's Gil. GIL SCOTT-HERON AND THE AMNESIA EXPRESS will be playing at the Ark tonight at 8 and 10 p.m. Tickets are $15 regular, $10 with student id and don't forget that evil service charge. V - Journey through time Dwane Shepard portrays Malcolm X , in the National Black Touring Circuit INc.'s production of Brother Malcolm X, Reminiscences of A Black Revolutionary by Frank Greenwood. Brother Malcolm Xis a one- man show chronicling the life of the Black leader from his early life in Michigan to his assassination in Harlem. Tickets are $15, $10 for students with ID available in the League ticket office. The production s being performed in the Lydia Mendelssohn Theatre tonight only at 8 , p.m. Sun. Pec. 2 Michigan Marching Band in Concert Gary Lewis, conductor Tickets: $ 4 (764-0852) CrislerArena, 2:30 p.m. University of Michigan Percussion Ensemble Michael Udow, director; Ted Piltzecker, guest vibraphonist Piltzecker: Junctures Kowalski: Grin go Blaster Udow: Flashback and Thoughts from Almost Near Somewhere McIntosh Theatre, School of Music, 4 p.m. Composers' Forum School of Music Recital Hall, 8 p.m. George Michael "Freedom" At the end of Georgie Porgie's latest video, a blond androgynous woman of rare beauty takes a boiling kettle off a stove. For the five min- utes of "Freedom '90," Mr. Michael has been letting off steam. George is fed up of being a pop star commod- ity for pubescent girls to wet their knickers over. He wants to be taken seriously, to be "listened to without prejudice. The lyrics don't matter. George wants to throw off the old image and embrace a "new lifestyle." All the stuff in the "Faith" video, except George himself, is destroyed; the jukebox and guitar get blown ul a few times. His Triumph leather jacket is burned by one of the many babes in the video. George is she ding the symbols of machismo th he has so painfully worn, since-his break-up with Andrew Ridgely. -All his words are sung by languid, sexus ally-alienated women, presumably to men. George never appears. The one male hunk body is fetishized, lying on the bed, muscles rippling, nip-' ples stiffening. Is George finally coming out of the closet? -Peter Shapiro & Nabel Zube Mon. Dec. 3 Tues. Dec. 4 Campus Orchestra Cindy Egolf Sham-Rao, conductor Rimsky-Korsakov: Russian Easter Overture Debussy: Nocturnes (Nuages, Fetes) Dvorak: Symphony No. 9 in E minor, "From the New World", Op. 95 Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m. Early Music Ensemble Edward Parmentier, director Music of Monteverdi, Schutz, Philidor, Ferrabosco the Elder, Gesualdo and Graun Blanche Anderson Moore Hall, School of Music, 8 p.m. LEARN RUSSIAN ON THE BLACK SEA! IN SOCHI, RUSSIA 8 WEEK RUSSIAN LANGUAGE COURSE PLUS... 5 DAY TOUR: JUNE 11 - AUGUST 5 - OR - 10 DAY TOUR: JUNE 11 - AUGUST 20 FOR FURTHER DETAILS COME TO A MEETING & PRESENTATION ON/NEAR YOUR CAMPUS: r- U P g. 17 THE tacking Shippin Sto f, Monday, December 3, 1990 3:00 pm- 5:00 pm Modern Language Building Third Floor Conference Room .O~SOPPE. w . g ring - Moving'- rything you need for the holidays You can find here! Decorative Bags and Boxes Gift and Jewelry Boxes Gitwrapping ava|Iable We ship UPS and Freight us u1 Rd. (313) 668-6455- a 48105 W laesars & Wendy's) Thur. Dec. 6 Thur.-Sun. Dec. 6 - 9 University Of Michigan Jazz Combos featuring Priority, What is Hip, and Timeline North Campus Commons, 8 p.m. University Players Tartuffe by Moli6re Philip Kerr, director Tickets: $ 12, $ 9, $ 5 (students) Power Center 8 p.m. (Thur.-Sat.), 2 p.m. (Sun.) I A representative of the Ministry d Education of the Russian Federation will be with us at the meetin OR CALL: DAFNA RONN-OXLEY AT TANDEM-VIRTUS LIMITED 1-800-274-9121 Eve I BL I A (1 iorth Camp, 747 Plymou knn Arbor, M Next to Little C I. * i . - A . . Fri. Sat Dec Sur Dec. 7 Symphony Band and Concert Band H. Robert Reynolds, Gary Lewis, Dennis Glocke, conductors Hindemith: Symphonic Metamorphosis of Themes by Carl Maria von Weber Grainger: Sussex Mummers' Christmas Carol Bernstein: 2nd movement, "Profanation", from Symphony No. 1 ,"Jeremiah" Vaughan Williams: Sea Songs Schwantner: From a Dark Millenium Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m. .-Sun. WAVES Digital Music Ensemble .8 - 9 Ed Sarath, director a multi-media collaboration using improvisation, dance, film, and theatre School of Music McIntosh Theatre Sat. at 8 p.m., Sun. at 4 p.m. 1. Dec. 9 Campus Band Myron D. Moss, conductor with guest appearances by School of Music chamber ensembles Montenegro: Fanfare Schuman: "Chester" Holst: Nocturne from A Moorside Suite Sousa: "Manhattan Beach" Glide: "Russian Sailors' Dance" Hill Auditorium, 8 p.m. U o lMso my coed a cappela singing ensem e ~0 AIDSWorkshop M National Comedian Danny Williams will be conducting a workshop for people who know those with AIDS. It will be followed by an '0 I i &L L - _ 1k I