In a word...
Awesome.
Each year, in early December, the boys perform this great work along with the Vicars Choral (the full-time men) St Paul's Cathedral Chorus (the amateur choir formed to augment the Cathedral Choir for Messiah and during Holy Week) and the City of London Sinfonia.
As is tradition (well both times I've seen it at St Pauls), the soprano solos are sung by the boys, sometimes on their own, sometimes as a small group.
Another practice is to perform one or more of the pieces as anthems during Evensong and during other concerts. This year they performed...
For unto us a child is born, unto us a son is given:
and the government shall be upon his shoulder;
and his name shall be called Wonderful, Counsellor,
The mighty God, The everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace.
And yes the centuries-old tradition of standing during the Hallelujah Chorus is observed.
No matter where I sit at concerts, Tom always seems to be slightly out of sight or obscured. There have numerously been flags and bassoons between us; for Messiah he was in the second row, far to the right and behind one of the taller boys.
Not that I'm complaining.
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