Quick 5: Jan Kraybill

Helzberg Hall at the Kauffman Center is, in a word, amazing! The Independence Messiah Choir has a 95-year tradition of performing Messiah in significant venues, including, during my time here, Carnegie Hall in New York and Community of Christ Auditorium in Independence. Helzberg Hall ranks with the very best venues worldwide – musical experts across the country have written in glowing terms about its acoustics. Another unique aspect is that no seat in this hall is more than about 100 feet from the stage, providing a more intimate musical experience for each audience member than is possible in larger venues.

The harpsichord is the forerunner of the piano, and both these instruments’ sound comes from strings, as opposed to the organ’s pipes. The main difference between the harpsichord and piano is in how the sound begins. The piano’s strings are struck by felt-covered hammers. The harpsichord’s keys activate quill or plastic plectra that pluck the strings. The resulting sound is a unique contribution to the orchestra for works that come from its time, such as “Messiah” (composed in 1741).

I look forward very much to performing “Messiah” each year. It’s a complex work, and that makes it both challenging and fascinating, as I explore Handel’s musical interpretation of words of faith that have existed for centuries. There is always something new to discover within its many layers. It’s also the most collaborative work I do as a musician each year, and that is a true pleasure, as the fabulous musicians who surround me on the stage encourage me, by their playing and singing and conducting, to play at my very best.

Every musician in the choirs and orchestra brings his or her own perspective to the work, and those stories inform how we all perform together. Each of the organizations also brings its own unique history to this moment. The interesting thing is that our stories have intersected at many points in 95 years. For example, in 1916, the very first year “Messiah” was performed by the predecessors of the Independence Messiah Choir at Stone Church in Independence, the predecessors of the Kansas City Symphony invited them to collaborate on a second performance of the work in Kansas City that same year. I consider it an honor to be a musician contributing to a rich history that I hope will continue for decades to come!

The theme for this year's event is “Second Acts.” All of the music was written by composers who reinvented themselves or their art forms. For example, the Hungarian composer Franz Liszt was a flamboyant performer – a rock star of his time – whose recitals were attended by swooning women who fought over the gloves he removed before taking his seat to play! But later in life, he chose to live a very simple existence at a monastery near Rome. I’ll perform two works which illustrate his life: his virtuosic “Fantasy and Fugue on B-A-C-H” and a meditative piece based on chant from his monastic days – and much more – too much to list here. I hope everyone can join me on Feb. 5 at 3 p.m. at Community of Christ Temple!