The Hallelujah Chorus Wow’s Macy’s

This is spectacular! The Hallelujah Chorus has hit the Macy’s Parade. On Saturday, October 30, 2010, the Opera Company of Philadelphia brought together over 650 choristers from 28 participating organizations to perform one of the Knight Foundation’s “Random Acts of Culture” at Macy’s in Center City Philadelphia. They planted the singers amongst the crowds throughout the Grand Court at Macy’s.  Accompanied by the Wanamaker Organ – the world’s largest pipe organ – the OCP Chorus and throngs of singers from the community infiltrated the store as shoppers, and burst into a pop-up rendition of the Hallelujah Chorus from Handel’s “Messiah” at 12 noon, to the delight of surprised shoppers.

This event is one of 1,000 “Random Acts of Culture” to be funded by the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation over the next three years. The initiative transports the classical arts out of the concert halls and opera houses and into our communities to enrich our everyday lives.

This event was planned to coincide with the first day of National Opera Week.   What a shame that it could not have been to coincide with the start of Advent instead.  But still the response and delight of the shopping crowd is refreshing.