The "3 Minutes & 53 Seconds Of Musical Bliss: Part I - The Performance" Story

It was an ordinary day.  My Santa's hat was in place and the clock had just struck 9:00 AM.  The music began on the overhead speaker in Lancaster, Pennsylvania's historic Central Market in downtown Lancaster.  Within a few seconds the voices began with...Hallelujah! Hallelujah!......and when the music stopped 3 minutes and 53 seconds later, the applause broke out.  Today I was part of a flash mob that sang the Hallelujah Chorus by G.F. Handel.  

G.F. Handel

Mr. Handel composed his masterpiece as an English-language oratorio in 1741.  The words for his composition came from the King James Bible as well as the version of the Psalms included in the Book of Common Prayer and were compiled by Charles Jennens.  The Hallelujah Chorus was part of the Messiah which was Handel's sixth work in that oratorio.  And, I just sang it!  Actually sang it with gusto...so I did!!  Did it to honor my father who had one of the best bass voices you would ever hear.  He was the bass soloist for many, many years when I sang as a youngster in the St. James Episcopal Church choir and then later as an adult in the men's choir. He and I sang the entire Handel's Messiah together several times with the church choir over the years he was alive.  

The Great Music Hall on Fishamble Street in Dublin
where G.F. Handel's Messiah was first performed.

Singing in the flash mob chorus had been on my bucket list for years and after hearing it sung on Central Market seven years ago during the flash mob's first year of existence, I knew I had to join.  Finally, last year, I contacted a friend who had sung in it and got the dates and times for practice and realized my dream.  But, once was not enough.  I enjoyed it so much that this year I was one of the first to respond for singers when the call went out on FaceBook.  After a few practices we were ready for our performance.  Everyone was instructed to dress for the holiday season so I grabbed a bright red Santa's hat.  When the clock struck 9:00 AM, the first three measures were piped over the loudspeaker.  Allegedly!  It was Saturday morning market day and the place was crowded with holiday shoppers.  Add to that the 100 or so singers who were trying to be casual until the music began.  Hearing the initial few measures of the song didn't happen since the noise was so great that most never heard them.  A few at a time began to pick up the song and by the end of the sixth or seventh Hallelujah! we were all on the same page.  

This photo is from last year.  This year the crowd was so
large that my wife couldn't get a photo of the flash mob.

Lucky we had practiced so many times, since it was hard to hear the other parts as we sang our hearts out.  I believe we all ended at the same time, since as soon as the few around me sang the last Hallelujah! 3 minutes and 53 seconds later, the applause began.  My wife had come with me so she could take a few photos to share with you, but the balcony where she had gone was so crowded that she failed to get any photographs.  Actually had a hard time hearing it above the noise of the crowd near her.  Didn't matter anyway since we all had a great time and were ready to head to our next venue.  At 9:15 AM we were ready to go once again at the Marriott Hotel lobby which is a half-block from Central Market.  Our director and flash mob organizer, David, began with the first three measures on his laptop and this time we hit it right on.  The lobby wasn't real crowded, but those that were there stopped and listened as we sang one of the most recognizable pieces of music in history.  Dad would have loved it as the sound vibrated off the second story ceiling in the ages old building.  As we sang the final Hallelujah! I had tears in my eyes.  Once more applause arose.  Minutes later we were heading out the door for our final venue in front of the community Christmas Tree a short distance from the Marriott.  The early morning rain had just about stopped as we performed one more time for all the downtown shoppers around the square in the city of Lancaster to hear.  A few cars stopped to listen and after 3 minutes and 53 seconds of pure musical bliss, my dream had ended.  It was another extraordinary day in the life of an ordinary guy.  PS - the following singing of the "Hallelujah Chorus" by the Lancaster flashmob was from three years ago.  The video made this year wasn't done very well, thus I have included one from the past. 

 PS - Since I didn't get a video of our version, I have still added a high school choir singing the chorus for your enjoyment.  Merry Christmas to one and all!!