This is Christmas at Carnegie Hall
Not every Carnegie Hall concert features Santa Claus mingling with the audience before the downbeat. But then again, not every concert packs a world premiere, three conductors, and Handel's Messiah into a single evening.
DCINY's This is Christmas concert earlier this month brought together a program that covered a lot of ground. Mary McDonald conducted her own Christmas suite and a collection of her seasonal arrangements. Beth Everett led the world premiere of McDonald's Gloria. And Jonathan Griffith closed the evening with highlights from Handel's Messiah, using Mozart's orchestration from 1789.
The variety kept things interesting from a photography standpoint. McDonald's "This Is Christmas" suite moved through traditional carols, original compositions, and moments that ranged from energetic to contemplative. The shifts in mood created different visual opportunities throughout the first half.
I've photographed enough DCINY concerts at Carnegie Hall to know how these large choral productions work. Singers from choirs across North America and beyond come together as the Distinguished Concerts Singers International, rehearse for a few days, and perform on one of the world's great stages. The coordination is impressive, and it shows in the final product.
The world premiere of McDonald's Gloria was a highlight. Three movements in Latin, moving from jubilant praise through a more somber plea for peace, then building to a grand finale. Beth Everett conducted with clear intent, and the choir responded. Photographing a premiere always feels a bit different, knowing you're documenting something that's never been performed before.
For the Messiah portion, the program used Mozart's 1789 orchestration rather than Handel's original. Mozart added clarinets, horns, and additional woodwinds to fill out the sound. Jonathan Griffith conducted selections including the Sinfonia, "For Unto Us a Child is Born," the Pastoral Symphony, and the Hallelujah Chorus.
The staging at the Stern Auditorium gave me good sightlines throughout the evening. Shooting from behind the chorus offered a perspective the audience doesn't get, looking out over the orchestra toward a packed house. These wide shots help convey the scale of what DCINY puts together for these concerts.
The mix of formal performance and holiday spirit made this concert feel different from the typical classical program. Having Santa and an elf greeting audience members before the music started set a tone that carried through the evening. It's a reminder that these performances serve different purposes for different people. Some are there for the musical excellence. Some are there to celebrate the season. Most are there for both.
For organizations presenting large choral works, professional documentation captures more than just the performance. It shows the scope of the production, the engagement of the performers, and the atmosphere of the evening. These images end up in marketing materials, social media, and archives that tell the story of what happened on that particular night.
If you're planning concert productions at Carnegie Hall or other major venues and want to discuss photography coverage, I'd be glad to talk through what would work best for your needs.
