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Tuesday, November 9, 2010

IS THIS USING RELIGIOUS MUSIC FOR CRASS COMMERCIALISM OR IS IT JUST SOMETHING PRETTY DARN AWESOME AND A MOMENT OF GRACE IN A DEPARTMENT STORE?

As reported on the Creative Minority Report Blog: Just this past weekend, shoppers at the the Macy's in Philadelphia (the old Wanamaker building) were surprised when over 600 choristers who were there mingling with regular shoppers suddenly burst into Handel's Hallelujah Chorus. It's pretty awesome.

The Opera Company of Philadelphia was instrumental in bringing it together to perform one of the Knight Foundation's "1000 Random Acts of Culture" which they'll be doing over the next three years across the country. Accompanied by the Wanamaker Organ - the world's largest pipe organ - the singers burst into song at exactly noon.

(A disclaimer, I worked for R.H. Macy and Company in downtown Augusta from 1972 to 1976 while I went to college. Macy's operated many stores under different names, the one in Augusta was called Davison's Department store, but my paycheck said Macy's! I was a student in college and they bent over backwards to accommodate me with my school hours and to give me more hours when school was not in session. I have very fond memories of Macy's!)

Check it out!

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

What an amazing video! I absolutely love Handel's Messiah. It gives me goose-bumps every time I hear it. I wish I had been at Macy's when this took place. It would have reminded me what Christmas is all about and why I was out shopping.

Gene said...

I kinda like it! If one fallen away Christian experiences some renewed awe or is moved to reflect upon Christ and his mercy, then Alleluja!