Professional Singer Reacts to The Trumpet Shall Sound from Handel's Messiah

French-Canadian baritone, Philippe Sly, sings The Trumpet Shall Sound from Handel's Messiah with the Trinity Wall Street Baroque Orchestra.
I hope you enjoy this analysis + breakdown of one of Handel's most recognizable arias. I have had the honour and privilege of working on this aria with many great teachers and mentors, and along the way I have picked up a few tips and tricks.
Make sure you check out the original video to watch the full thing!
Original video: • "Behold, I tell you a ...
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[@beehoney9357]

Philippe Sly is the best choice to illustrate the brilliance of this aria. Few have ever sung it better than him. I simply adore his performance. ...and thanks Nick for this great explanation:-)

[@leomirandavasco]

Handel is my favorite compositor

[@jofido]

What a great analysis and discussion. I can’t think of a better aria to choose. Philippe Sly is my favorite baritone. He shows his talent, craft and musicality with all his work. Thank you so much for this wonderful presentation.

[@TJP-tq4np]

Blow, Gabriel, blow! The trumpet is the classical representation of the Last Trumpet blown by the Angel Gabriel at the end of the world and calling forth the Day of Resurrection! Nice to put the trumpeter up in the raised podium!

[@c11935]

Terrific video! I've sung Handel's Messiah many times over the decades in a church choir. Your analysis has added so much to my understanding of a musical piece I so enjoy. Thank you.

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

Thank you so much, Donald! I’m glad you enjoyed it. It is a great oratorio and there is so much to analyze!

[@HansMartinHammer]

Philippe Sly has been a guilty pleasure of mine for many years. Such a sexy voice.

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

True !!

[@lonniethomas2649]

I love Baroque trumpet! The sound is so clean! This is a wonderful performance!

[@rogermaes6001]

Very good and accessible analysis of a superb aria, exemplary of Handel's genius, performed by one of the most sensitive and precise artists, with an irresistible timbre, never seeking gratuitous effect. I would have liked, after the comments, to hear the entire aria, without interruption. Otherwise, perfect. Big thanks.

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

Thank you so much! I am happy you enjoyed it 🙂

[@HelenaWilliams8696]

N. Higgs gives a simple analysis of the musicology composition and baritone singer P. Sly's vocalisation along with the music. The Trumpet is an outstanding musical instrument emphasising the Aria's significance theme. What a joy to follow Higgs' explanation. An educational documentary, thank you Nicholas.

[@romalisan1]

Philippe Sly is the best! The trumpet player is fantastic.

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

He rocks!

[@johnivett3241]

You clearly love this aria and your passion’s infectious. Great choice - Philippe Sly’s voice is warm, light and agile, and I loved your insight into the choices he made in the A prime section. (He’s also amazing in “Why do the nations…” with some breath-taking Handelian musical gymnastics!) Thanks again! And what’s next? No pressure :-)

[@royaboagyedjan4632]

I got so emotional while watching this review. Thanks to this, i'm going to really dissect Every aria I perform from now onwards, with a deeper understanding of what the composer tries to communicate. Very well broken down Nick🏆

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

This comment makes me so happy. I am thrilled you enjoyed the reaction, and am even happier that you learned something. I sometimes forget how brilliant these composers were, and if we can take a few moments to ask ourselves ‘why’ they did something, then we will greatly benefit!

[@osezuastephen-imobhio7281]

Nice review, my friend. God willing, I'll be doing this evergreen spiritual tune during this coming Easter celebrations in my church in Lagos, Nigeria. I really blessed God for granting me the grace to see this very educating video review on the song of revelation. Once more, thank you. I praymthe we'll all be made ready when the TRUMPET shall sound! Amen

[@jeremymartin1610]

Great reaction. Really good tips about vowel sounds, baroque tuning, improvisation and counterpoint. Thank you.

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

My pleasure!

[@MatthewBluefox]

The soloist Händel'ed that aria very well. :)

[@irenesupica5571]

Excellent commentary!

[@rutha1464]

I don't know if "stealing" is an accurate way of depicting music of Handel's era. I would prefer to say they were influenced by other master composers. Thus, if you listen to Bach's St. Matthew's Passion, you hear passages that sound remarkably like Handel's compositions. What makes Mozart so remarkable is how little his compositions appear to be influenced by others but were truly original. And what a fine example to study! Mr. Sly has mastered both operatic, Handel and contemporary pieces of music. What a breath of fresh air to see a young man interested in a serious study of such a remarkable composer. Please keep posting! R.

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

Very well said! I think I like that word choice better as well. Thanks for your feedback 🙂

[@danielduguay6167]

Très intéressant ! J’aime bien ton analyse, cela nous permet de mieux comprendre la pièce et le style baroque que j’apprécie tant! Continue tes vidéos ils sont instructifs.👍

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

Un grand merci !

[@user-ul2we8vn5d]

jesteś niesamowity. Dziękuję Ci za te wskazówki, za te szczegóły i detale. To jest moje akurat ulubione wykonanie Mesjasza Handla. I Ty mi pomogłeś wydobyć smaczki :-) Dzięki Nick !!!!!!

[@LoicTasquierNL]

Lovely !

[@markhager2216]

Sly really is the current gold standard for singing this aria. No “scoops” and no “hammy singing.” I found this original a few years ago and listen to it regularly. And, really, hats off to the trumpet player. Incredible work (I listened to a performance a couple weeks ago and the baritone was fine, the trumpeter? Yikes)

[@djperry211]

And let’s give a big shout out for the orchestra, conducted, I believe, by Julian Wachner. His work encompasses so much of Handel’s great works, especially oratorios as here.

[@loganfruchtman953]

Yay my favorite aria from Messiah. So amazing.

[@ravenswoodranch]

Love love love your analysis- Did not see this before as I have had Phillipe's version on KZbin for a couple of years now. I first heard him sing (in my car) maybe 4 years ago when he did Messiah with the Philadelphia Orchestra , along with Carolyn Samson and Yannick. Luckily WQXR has re-played this spectacular version the last few years. I love his warmth. I loved Yannick's version using a smaller orchestra, as it showcased the singers very well.

[@annasalholdthansen6101]

This song have been my favorite for the last 6 years.

[@purringthepiss]

It's gorgeous

[@gangflow9139]

About the trumpet, it’s not actually an historical trumpet like the ones which were played back in the 18th century. Those instruments didn’t have holes or valves at all, they played only natural harmonics. This one is probably a modern instrument meant to imitate the old ones but a bit easier to play. Still a very difficult instrument like you said

[@ivanbeshkov1718]

Teddy Tahu Rhodes does an excellent job in this aria.

[@parsifal40002]

Great video! 45 years ago I trained as an opera singer. I started as a lyric baritone but my vocal range got lower ending up being a bass baritone. My low F-sharp was a bit weak I can't sing anymore. Grew old LOL!

[@Alexmeister25]

I love "Why do the nations" aria... 🙂

[@sahrmaadadauda1327]

I would love to sing this particular solo in our church next year choral performance.

[@rogermaes6001]

Très bonne et accessible analyse d'un aria superbe, exemplaire du génie de Haendel, interprété par un des artistes les plus sensibles, les plus précis, au timbre irrésistible, ne cherchant jamais l'effet gratuit. J'aurais bien voulu, après les commentaires, entendre l'aria en entier, sans interruption. Sinon, parfait. Grand merci.

[@carlosvitolo2634]

Tus comentarios son excelentes. Muchas gracias

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

Gracias

[@TJP-tq4np]

I was in the chorus of Messiah long ago. The poor trumpeter lost his lip I believe it is called. The result was: “The trumpet shall souuuund!” “Squeeek, squawwwk, blaaat!” said the trumpet. The conductor flushed beet red with anger. The trumpeter never regained control. A Messiah to remember!

[@bassmanxan3544]

I'd like to see an analysis of all of his Messiah Arias, i think they all have their very interesting points to talk about. His performance of "The People that Walked in Darkness" prompted me to learn it for my audition to get into college

[@victormanteca7395]

Handel was infamously a "musical thief" in that he unashamedly borrowed musical ideas and whole themes by other composers in ways today we may behold as plagiaristic. And he did, but to his avail we must say that: 1) he usually improved the original material, 2) he was never known to protest when others did the exact same thing with his own music, 3) most of borrowings were from his own music, giving new life to occasional music that he thought would never be heard again, and 4) intellectual property was not an unknown concept, but it was understood in a very different way those days. Anyway, and regarding Messiah, apart from a couple of self borrowings (mainly from his Italian cantatas from 30 years before), it is mainly original material. But I doubt he did write it from scratch in 24 days: composers those days usually had a "folder" of music ideas and themes they were constantly working on, probably he already had a full drawer of half-baked arias and choruses to refine and use for the purpose.

[@arthurmorgan7557]

Händel didn't really steal the music from others. He took ideas from other musicians and incorporated them in his music. This was absolutely normal in this times. Bach and other baroque composers did the same. They didn't steal and copy music they inspired their music with the music of others.

[@jeandoten1510]

I recommend that you give a listen to Handel's famous aria Ombra Mai Fu, from his Opera "Serse" and then listen to the Bononcini version of the same aria from his setting of the same opera. They are almost exactly same: Bononcini's "Serse" was a big hit in London the year before Handel's version was produced. There is no question that Handel not only "borrowed" Bononcini's melody,but also improved it, not as an "homage" but most likely as a thumb to the nose.

[@oxoelfoxo]

John Thiessen channeling the archangel Gabriel

[@dianastella]

Absolutely!

[@victormanteca7395]

BTW, in modern times the aria has been modified to correct a word-setting mistake. When Handel, a native German who always struggled with English despite living almost five decades in London, set the word "incorruptible", he incorrectly assumed the stress was on the wrong syllabe, and it sounded "incorrup-TI-ble". Today, as we listen in the video, it is usually sung as "incor-RUP-tible". Another comment: yes it was customary to introduce improvised ad libitum ornaments in the "Da Capo" repeat in baroque arias to make them sound different from the first time and give the singers a chance to show off both their skills and their creativity.

[@tnyfrt]

How do you feel about singing with a lowered larynx, as it was done by Mario Del Monaco and Franco Corelli? They tend to sing just a little bit more brilliantly than most singers on the planet, with endless breath control (they do not need to take a breath after each word they sing), they sing with super legato, and Corelli could perform the messa di voce on every note of his range on every vowel - which is the definition of a perfect singer.

[@user-il5oq5df6l]

MESSIAH is to all intents and purposes an opera in concert form. To me, the two greatest renditions of "The Trumpet Shall Sound " are by basso Jerome Hines and bass/baritone William Warfield.

[@paulhwbooth]

Fine performance, and generally good analysis. The evidence that Handel 'borrowed' parts of the works of other composers, without acknowledgement, is clear. The natural trumpet couldn't play the B minor middle section. Interestingly, Handel usually doesn't give much attention to the B sections of his da capo arias, even the greatest ones (in my opinion) such as Cara sposa from Rinaldo. Compare this with J S Bach's Schlummert ein in BWV 82, sung by Lorraine Hunt, for example.

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

Schlummert ein is one of my all time favourite arias. It’s sometimes too long to sing, but it’s stunning. I did Cantata 82 on my graduating recital 😁

[@paulhwbooth]

@@nickhiggsthesinger I bet you were great, NH.

[@victormanteca7395]

Well, "Schlummert ein" isn't exactly a "da capo" aria: it has the structure of a rondo. Therefore, it is expected to have those middle sections as part of a "progression" both as musical and as rhetoric elements, in a different way than "explanatory" B sections usually work in a "da capo" aria.

[@paulhwbooth]

@@victormanteca7395 Do you agree with my contrast of Handel with Bach?

[@victormanteca7395]

@@paulhwbooth To a point, yes, although to be fair, I think Bach and Handel took to the form from a different perspective. Handel takes the "aria da capo" form directly from the opera seria tradition, where B sections are kind of explanatory "bridges" where poetry extends on the metaphores of the A section, and serve mainly for the purpose of preparing the audience for the return of the flashy, virtuoso singing and ritornellos of the da capo A section. So it's normal and deliberate for B sections to be less interesting musically than the da capo ones. On the other side, Bach takes the da capo as a modern resource indirectly from opera, and directly from the poetic structure of the new Neumeister kind of lutheran cantata. This fashion tries to adapt the old sacred concerto form, with its stanza structure, to the new aria da capo verses. As a result, the middle section often paraphrases the important rhetoric insight of the lutheran chorale, and that cannot be ignored by composers reared in that tradition. On the other side, this Handel aria middle section is everything but run-of-the-mill: I find the "immortality" melismatic phrase to be deep, moving and meaningful.

[@Chompchompyerded]

In the 18th century, there were no copyright laws, and composers freely copied one and other. Bach's concerto for 4 harpsichords is pretty much a note for note rip-off of one of Vivaldi's many concertos for 4 violins, for example. When asked how he felt about plagiarism, Handel replied that plagiarism is the highest form of flattery; an idea later paraphrased by Oscar Wilde. There are parts which are quite definitely borrowed from other composers. Handel even named a couple of his sources for three of the tunes in Messiah. But the person whom Handel plagiarised most heavily in Messiah was himself. Very few of the areas and choruses in Messiah were original to the work. They were mostly reworked piece from other operas, oratorios, and even orchestral works which he set to words in Messiah. If Messiah were to be released today, It would probably be released as a greatest hits album. All in all, he didn't have to put an inordinate amount of work in on Messiah, and it wasn't really the "Miracle" which it is often professed to be. In fact, that it was a miracle at all was not even hypothesized until the later half of the 20th century, when a record cover for a recording of the work performed by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir and the Philadelphia Orchestra said it was, without any supporting evidence. This flies in the face of all the Handel research which has been done in the later half of the twentieth century, and in this century, which has documented the origin of every scrap of Messiah, and from where it originated, right down the the shortest recitatives. So the next time someone tells you about the miraculous composition of Messiah, you now know better. I would also like to point out that part of this aria is not sung correctly, or at least is not sung as Handel wrote it. Handel wrote the piece with -ti- in the word incorruptible as falling on the first beat, and therefore getting the accent. Because this sounds so wrong to our ears, it is mot often sung smashed up with dotted semi-quaver and a demi-quaver all crammed into the end of one bar so that the accent can fall on -rup- instead of -ti-. There is only one recording which I am aware of where it is sung the way it was written, and that is a recording made by the Academy of Ancient Music under the direction of Christopher Hogwood, with David Thomas singing the bass part. If you'd like to hear the difference, you can find the recording of it on KZbin here: kzbin.info/www/bejne/sHjZYYyud7iHgrM Katherine Hart, Professor Emerita, Cambridge University

[@matthiascheah3519]

15:40 was that a hint of a blues note there XD

[@ashleythorpe7933]

This aria's all about the trumpet.... (don't tell him that!)

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

It’s so true

[@andreawatson8426]

Nick, Please explain A415

[@Baraodojaguary]

I also love the trumpet shall sound but i come from a diferent angle since i don t sing but i play trumpet and i am a Devout christian

[@juanmanuelgarcia7500]

Please, put spanish subtítles. Sorry, my english level is low for your comments. I like this bass aria too...

[@jandamskier6510]

no van a querer hacerlo. Huevones.

[@zdzislawmeglicki2262]

In Handel's lifetime there was no probibition on "borrowing" music from other composers. Bach borrowed from Vivaldi, and Handel, we know it, borrowed from his personal friend, Telemann. But for the Messiah Handel borrowed from himself, from years and years of his own countless compositions. He was extremely prolific. Bach did the same, mind you, with his passions that use material from previously written cantatas. That's how the lost St Mark Passion was reconstructed.

[@marka5478]

Even more difficult is playing on a non-vented natural trumpet. Either way, natural trumpets, either with or without vent holes, sounds light years better than a piccolo trumpet, which is an expensive squeaky toy by comparison.

[@dechux4903]

Wooooooo im the first to comment 😁😁😁😁😁😁

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

Here’s a cookie 🍪😁

[@jean-danielhelmlinger4986]

Splendid !!

[@TheLittleBarbernator]

I like Philippe but I think he often "cheats" on the high notes by having such a wonderful tone, his technique could be a little better

[@grahamnancledra7036]

ERRR Ba-Rock not Bar-roque Otherwise a stupendous pleasure to watch.

[@stephenkorab6456]

Where did you hear this rumor?! Is it of your doing?! I studied baroque music in college; never heard this; and don't believe it. Handel didn't need to use anybody else's work. He repurposed some of his previous works but did not steal or borrow others.

[@simplehappymama5806]

The sad thing is how many people will listen to, sing, and critique Handel’s Messiah without ever coming to know it’s grand and glorious Subject personally. The coming of Messiah was prophesied, that’s part one. His death for our transgressions and His resurrection from the dead was prophesied, as well as His triumph. That’s part two. Salvation, resurrection and eternal glory is promised for those who believe in Jesus Christ the Lord. That’s part three. Jesus died that we might be saved from sin and death and hell, and be raised from the dead (the subject of this song) and live forever. Don’t, for pity’s sake, miss the truth and message of Messiah. It’s not poetry!

[@irenesupica5571]

I think that many people are ARE affected by this text. I certainly am, and make a habit of listening to the oratorio as part of my preparation for Easter. Also, I am a church musician who has served many Orthodox funerals. When *reading* this exact text from the New Testament, I hear this beautiful melody.

[@simplehappymama5806]

I don’t mean that people are not affected emotionally, but that they miss the very real salvation from sin and death and hell - the eternal life - that is available to all who believe in Jesus Christ the Lord.. “Whoever believes in the Son has eternal life; whoever does not obey the Son shall not see life, but the wrath of God remains on him.” John 3:36

[@kingmark5557]

You need your ears testing. The voice is bleating from the middle to the top and the top E’s are wide open with no sonority of tone whatsoever at the bottom. It sounds like a teenage boy trying to sing it.

[@nickhiggsthesinger]

😂