Michele LeTourneau
Northern News Services

Iqaluit (Dec 06/99) - The Messiah will visit Iqaluit this Christmas. Not the real one, of course, but George Frideric Handel's Messiah.

At a Christmas concert tentatively set for Dec. 16, a number of Iqaluit's musicians and singers will gather and perform the baroque composer's well-known tune, Hallelujah.

"We thought it would be nice to do a piece where most of the performers could come together," explains Ryan MacLeod, Inuksuk high school's new band instructor.

The concert itself is mostly organized by Iqaluit's Music Society, he adds.

"There's a community choir, which has Inuit members whose repertoire includes Inuktitut songs, some in English, some in French and Latin. It's a broader based choir. There's also an Inuktitut choir in town. So there's a number of groups coming together to do the Christmas concert," says MacLeod.

"But within that (the concert) the plan is to have the community orchestra, the community choir, the Inuktitut choir, some of the other string players and other musicians in town all come together to perform that piece."

MacLeod estimates when everyone comes together it will be about 80 to 100 people.

In what may be a world first, the Hallelujah chorus -- which is the last section from Handel's piece -- will be sung in Inuktitut.

"We've had it translated, so the choir is singing it in Inuktitut," he says.

MacLeod, who will be conducting that particular piece, has been pretty busy since arriving in Iqaluit in August, stepping into the fray wherever his musical talents and knowledge are needed.

"I'm in the community in the capacity of the high school music teacher. At the moment, I've also taken over the community orchestra. And there were other people running the community choir, as happens to so many people in the community who leave quickly and unexpectedly ... So I've agreed to take over the choir until after Christmas."

MacLeod previously taught music at two Yellowknife schools. He's committed a year to his new home and won't be making any long-term decisions now.

"I agreed to come over for a year so they could check me out and I could check them out. And we'll take it from there. I kind of miss Taco Bell. I kind of miss Boston Pizza."

The presence of music won't only be felt at Christmas, nor will MacLeod's life suddenly become quiet after the big production.

Inuksuk high school may prove to be the breeding ground for new musical endeavour. A few enthusiastic students, for example, plan to form a small jazz combo.

"We've been rehearsing here and there's some interest in the community. So, after Christmas we're going to have a little casting call, an open call for anyone interested in playing a bit of jazz."