Media Partnership Expands Messiah Audience Around the World
For 81 years
Duke Chapel has put on a concert of Handel’s Messiah. The Chapel Choir’s performances of the eighteenth-century oratorio this past December fell into this long tradition with a 25-piece orchestra and four soloists with national reputations. New this year, however, in addition to a combined threeday audience of about 3,000 in the Chapel, there was also a global audience of listeners who tuned in online and via radio stations on four continents. The international broadcast was thanks to a collaboration with Trans World Radio (TWR), a Christian media organization that broadcasts biblically based programs in numerous languages and dialects.
The partnership came about through a relationship between Beth Gettys Sturkey, the Chapel’s Director of Development, and Barbara and Steven Shantz, Friends of Duke Chapel who both work for TWR. The concert coincided with TWR’s 60th anniversary, which prompted the Shantzes to come up with the idea for the broadcast. “We saw an opportunity for TWR to do something special for our listeners by offering this global celebration of Christ’s birth by broadcasting a choral work believed to be known worldwide,” said Barbara Shantz. With audio engineering by Durham’s VoChor digital recording services, the live sound from the Messiah performances on Dec. 5 and 6 was sent around the world. A listener in Malawi wrote to say, “It feels like angels singing, [ I ] am inspired.” Another person listening to the broadcast posted to Twitter: “I close my eyes, and I’m there in the midst of those stone walls, hearing those glorious Gospel words!” The broadcasts also included commentary and interviews by David Hartman, the original host of ABC’s 12
CHAPEL VIEW magazine | Spring 2015
“Good Morning America” and current host of North Carolina Symphony radio broadcasts. “Good morning, good afternoon, good evening to all of you, wherever you are in the world,” Hartman said to begin the broadcast. “We’re coming to you from the beautiful, Neo-Gothic Chapel at Duke University in Durham, North Carolina, United States.” Hartman followed his opening remarks with an interview with Dr. Rodney Wynkoop, Director of Chapel Music and Conductor of the Chapel Choir. The pre-recorded exchanges between the two, before the performance and during the intermission, provided listeners with context for the live music. Much of the interview involved describing different sections of the music and offering insights as to how they bring the story of Messiah to life. For example, Wynkoop explained how the words “and the glory of the Lord” are treated musically by Handel. “On the first statement of it, the choir leaps up to the word ‘glory,’ representing perhaps the fact that glory is coming from above,” said Wynkoop. “And, on the second statement of the word ‘glory,’ the chorus sings through that word and on to the word ‘Lord,’ suggesting that it’s through His glory that we can reach the Lord above.” A listener in Johannesburg, South Africa, appreciated the background information given in the interviews, writing, “A great insight into what goes into a masterpiece of each section of this [music].” In total, nearly a thousand people in 25 countries tuned in to the audio webcast of the two live broadcasts. That is in addition to many thousands more who listened to the broadcasts on TWR partner radio stations in the Philippines, Spain, Uruguay, and South Africa. While it is hard to know many details about this global audience, comments from listeners seem to indicate a mix of people familiar with, as well as new to, the Chapel’s Messiah concerts. For example, one person posted on Twitter: “Soaking in Duke Chapel Choir singing the Messiah — live online! And all flesh shall hear it together! Thx Rodney & choir!” Another person in Africa wrote, “What a beautiful ‘piece’ of music: what a beautiful message and what a delightful presentation, such depth and colour.” One common reaction to the broadcast was that of inspiration. As one listener commented on Twitter, “What a finale! ‘Blessing, honor, glory, and power be unto Him, forever and ever! Amen!’
—James Todd, Multimedia Manager