I went to a performance of Handel’s Messiah last night, performed by the Monmouth Choral Society. It was their conductor’s last night, so they there was an extra charge and the choir were singing their thanks for his time with them.

In one of the choral airs, the music builds to the phrase, “he shall be known as Wonderful…” Handel skips a beat before the word Wonderful, giving the whole ensemble, Choir, Soloists, Orchestra and Organ to blast in with this one word.

The forst time I was so surprised I saw gold and amber in the music. It wasn’t a visual manifestation or a vision but a strong sense of colour.

Afterwards I was saying how I loved the way Handle spun the melodies together in and upwards spiral. Blank faces made me realise that maybe not everybody sees or senses shapes or colours in music!