Q&A Session with soloists Rod Dixon and Alfreda Burke

Q.  What is the history of Too Hot to Handel, and when did the two of you first become involved with it?
Rod Dixon: The piece was commissioned by Marin Alsop and the Concordia Orchestra back in the early 1990s and first performed at the Lincoln Center in New York City.  It's been performed regularly since.  

Alfreda Burke: Rod first did Too Hot to Handel with Concordia at Lincoln Center in the late 1990s.  This will be our fourth year performing it together at the Detroit Opera House.  Originally it was done in a church in Detroit, but it was so popular it moved to the opera house.

Q.  What makes it different from a traditional version of The Messiah?
AB: Multiple genres. Too Hot to Handel does bring the classical - it's based on that of course - but then it has jazz, gospel, blues and Rod even adds some soul.  There is something for everyone. 

Q. Is that why it is such a difficult piece for a singer to perform - and why only a few singers have ever attempted it?
RD: Everyone is a specialist in one genre or another, but when you ask a singer to cross over - most classically trained signers have a hard time making authentic gospel, Broadway, blues or pop sounds.  People who love jazz want to hear a jazz singer, not an opera singer who is singing jazz.  The singers who can do this piece are trained in America, have great ears and can create vocal colors that jazz, blues and gospel aficionados are comfortable hearing. 

AB: It's about authenticity - the singers need to have a background in the different genres.  Rod and I are classically trained, but we also both have backgrounds in gospel and bebop.

Q. What is the most exciting aspect for you about introducing the piece to Chicago in January?
RD: Chicago is the kind of city where great music is part of the history, and a sophisticated town in regards to multi-genre presentations.

AB: Chicago's diversity makes it receptive to the music like this, that celebrates cultures coming together. 

Q. Do you think the piece is an appropriate method of honoring the legacy of Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.?
RD: Dr. King was a Minister with a doctoral degree from a theological seminary in Pennsylvania.  This piece is based on the Gospels, which fits in with his life and work.

AB: He was above all a man of peace, which is the message behind the Messiah. 

Q.  What else should we know about Too Hot to Handel?
RD: The piece is becoming known as The People's Oratorio - because it represents multiple genres, representing diverse communities.

AB: Some singers and musicians from Detroit - including the maestra Suzanne Mallare Acton - will be coming to Chicago to be part of the concert.  They'll join with singers from the Old St. Pat's Choir and other singers from across Chicago.  The two cities will come coming together in celebration of Dr. King - that's the beauty of the coming together.  You also should know that you have to be there to really feel the energy of the piece.  It's been performed numerous times, and has always been very well received by audiences. 

This interview first appeared in the Auditorium's December 2006 eNewsletter.  Click here to sign up to receive future issues.