[Dixielandjazz] Handel's "Messiah" and "When The Saints Come marching In."

[Steve Barbone]

One similarity between "Messiah" and "Saints" is that they are known and
loved by audiences. As a result, they are played quite frequently. The last
paragraph of the article (excerpted for brevity) stands out for it's
similarity to thoughts about playing jazz chestnuts from the past.

An interesting point, to me at least, is made there. Why focus on exacting
re creations of older tunes in order to be "authentic"? Why not play an
"incorrect" version? Or why not play one's own updated version to "set its
offering apart from the crowd."?

There are at least 2 bands among the plethora of Dixieland Bands in the
Philadelphia area that differentiate in this manner. The Barbone Street Jazz
Band and Ed Wise's New Orleans Jazz Band.

I can't speak for Ed, but we do it to better communicate to our target
audiences. (young people) It works much better than when we started as a
band 17 years ago that re-created the George Lewis sound. We now perform for
new, growing audiences of young folks. That counteracts our other
performances before declining audiences of old folks (they are dying off)
and therefore increases our overall audience numbers annually.

Cheers,
Steve Barbone

Music Review | New York Philharmonic

Handel¹s Holiday Hit, Tactfully Modern
NY TIMES - By STEVE SMITH - December 21, 2007

For a week or two in mid-December, Handel¹s oratorio ³Messiah² is performed
somewhere in New York almost every day. . . The New York Philharmonic threw
its collective hat into the overcrowded ring just a few years ago, offering
performances played by an instrumental complement scaled down to the
proportions of a Baroque ensemble. . .

The ³Messiah² Mr. McGegan conducted on Wednesday night might be deemed
historically considerate. The orchestra played on modern instruments, and
the string players employed vibrato with notable tact. Instrumental textures
were admirably lean and transparent; tempos were lithe and springy. It was
easy to admire the handsome sound while still missing the bite and burr of
the period-instrument performances that have made an impact over the last
decade or so. . . . snip to:

Still, given the resources available, you have to wonder whether the
Philharmonic¹s time is best spent playing yet another respectful ³Messiah.²
If the orchestra is determined to play this work, why not recreate one of
the sumptuously padded later versions? Playing an ³incorrect² edition of
³Messiah² by Mozart, Michael Costa or Thomas Beecham might score points for
some kind of authenticity and would certainly set its offering apart from
the crowd.

The New York Philharmonic repeats ³Messiah² on Friday afternoon; Saturday
night is sold out; Avery Fisher Hall, Lincoln Center; (212) 721-6500,
nyphil.org.