POSTING #100

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100th Posting; Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus

100th Posting

They say that time flies when you're having fun. That has certainly been true with Letter from Virgil---I just can't believe that this is the one hundredth Posting.

One of the great things about this experience has been the support and encouragement of you, the readers.

Thank you!

By the way, it has been interesting  to see how Google has responded to the blog. In the beginning, if one did a Google search by typing in "Letter from Virgil" , the blog appeared---if at all---pages down in Google's search 'results'.

Now, a search for "Letter from Virgil" has the blog at the very top of the list of results.

"Letter from Virgil" has arrived---at least according to Google.

That's satisfying.

Christmas Food Court Flash Mob, Hallelujah Chorus

The Chorus Niagara's Flash Mob video continues to  astound. As I upload this Posting, the number of viewings is nearly 23 million.

In Canada, the CBC, CTV and other media outlets have  aired segments about it, while in the United States, CNN, Fox News, ABC, The View, National Public Radio have all commented on it. And international media have picked it up as well, for example the hugely popular German network ZDF broadcast the video on one of its news shows.

Some of the female choristers have received proposals while the young man who appears as a janitor waving a 'Wet Floor' sign---a University of Toronto student in real life---has assumed almost cult status. One gets the impression that some female viewers would love to take him home with them.

We heard about a 14 month-old toddler who, when he heard his mother watching the video, came over, watched it for a few moments and then began to dance in time with the music. At the end of the video he clapped. (He just happens to be our grandson---precocious isn't he?)

People are trying to figure out what has happened, what is the magic that has made the video so popular.

One of the choristers told us she was puzzled. She said that they just went to the Seaway Mall in Welland to record a song, and suddenly all this happened. She shook her head.

Pat has a theory that although Handel's music is sublime and the singing superb, the unexpected success of the video is due to 'shock and awe'. The people in the food court came to shop and suddenly a concert broke out (like the old joke about a man who said he went to see a fight and a hockey game broke out).

I think Pat is right about 'shock and awe', and what makes that so effective is the enormously skillful camera work and editing by Alphabet Photography, which organized the video. We see mothers and their children caught up in the event, people wiping tears from their eyes, and we see close up shots that show the energy and joy of the singers.

Most of the YouTube comments are full of praise (there are a few nasty comments---not about the performance---from  people who use the video as a springboard to launch attacks against religion, against atheism, against the American Civil Liberties Union, against and for the United States, etc. etc. They need to get a life!)

Again and again, people comment about the tears the video brought---one woman complained that it had ruined her freshly-applied mascara.

Jews, Muslims, atheists have all praised the video. People have written in French, Russian, German and many languages that I don't recognize.

Here are some comments I liked:

"Every time I watch this I get the holy goose bumps and tears in my eyes. So powerful! THANK YOU!! and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!!! Hallelujah!!!!!"

"What I find impressive is how these stunning voices come out of such young people who look nothing like what one imagines a classical singer to look like. And how many there are. And how wonderful it all sounds. I'm all choked up."

"Magnifique!!! Bravo!!! Encore!!! Beautiful to listen to, fun to watch the joy on everyone's faces. Can't stop watching it. Thank you and Merry Christmas!!!"

000

Last weekend we went to see Chorus Niagara perform the full Messiah, in Grimsby at the Mountainview Christian Reform Church (the church was chosen for its size and acoustics). The sold-out concert was breathtakingly beautiful.

Handel certainly knew how to use the human voice in his compositions, and the Chorus's Artistic Director, Robert Cooper, the orchestra, the soloists and the chorus made the most of his inspired music.

When they reached the Hallelujah chorus, the singers closed their music and sang their hearts out, with many members of the audience---who, as tradition demands, were all standing---joining in.

Floating above this not-to-be-forgotten evening was a feeling of pride that after years of hard work our Chorus Niagara was suddenly world-famous.

We are told that the Chorus has received far more invitations to perform than they could ever accept. The Chorus is saying that they need some time to adjust to the success of the video. Perhaps in January they will have time to think about how to respond to all the demands.

Whatever happens, my prediction is that the video will become a Christmas classic---that it will be played and replayed, year after year.

000

Merry Christmas to all from Pat, me and our family!

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See you on December 26th for Posting #101 with more stories from our family’s universe! If you have comments or suggestions, please leave a comment at the bottom of this posting,  or email me at johnpathunter@gmail.com.