Lest any mistake this album for a historic survey of performances in the United States of Handel's masterpiece, Brett Stewart's Messiah in America is a contemporary oratorio for four vocal soloists, chorus, and orchestra, based entirely on texts from the Book of Mormon and composed in a conservative modern idiom. This caveat narrows the audience for this double-disc, but it's necessary to distinguish between the two works, for Stewart's composition bears no musical connection or intentional references to Handel's Messiah. Indeed, this work -- a setting of texts about Christ's visit to the American continent in 34 AD -- draws almost exclusively on tonal, post-Romantic practice, as well as on traditional and modern choral styles. The performance by the Millennial Choirs and Orchestras, conducted by Brandon Stewart and the composer, is grandiose in sound and vast in scale, and the massive forces deliver a reverent performance that is sure to inspire devout Mormons.
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