Department of Music

The UVA Department of Music presents the 53rd annual Messiah Sing-In on Tuesday, December 8th at 8pm.  This year, due to the pandemic, the event will be held as a special virtual event.  Join Michael Slon, UVA’s Director of Choral Music, and pianist Deke Polifka to sing or play on your own from the comfort of your living room.  The event is free and open to the public, and a special registration link for the Zoom Webinar format is included below.   

Usually a simple and joyous event, relying on the University and Charlottesville community to come together to sing and perform one of the greatest oratorios ever written, the UVA Messiah Sing-In was started in 1968 by Professor emeritus Donald Loach, and remains one of the first in the nation.  Singing participants for the event normally sit in sections arranged according to vocal part (soprano, alto, tenor, bass), the orchestra sits on stage, while non-singers are encouraged to listen from the Loge and Balcony.  

This year the event will occur online, and singers and instrumentalists are welcome to use their own score, or view scores at these pdf links:

Choral score: https://ks4.imslp.info/files/imglnks/usimg/d/d7/IMSLP343283-PMLP22568-IMSLP11870-Handel_Messiah_Schirmer_1912-bars.pdf

Instrumental scores: https://imslp.org/wiki/Messiah,_HWV_56_(Handel,_George_Frideric)  (To access instrumental parts, click on “Accompaniments,” and then click on “Parts” under “Sheet Music.”)

The event is sponsored by the UVA University Singers, and benefits the university’s choral ensembles.  As always, join us to sing or play your hearts out!

Please register for the UVA Music Virtual Messiah Sing-In.