Oratorio

The Oratorio, born in 17th century Italy, is basically a musical soap opera without the costumes and the dramatic pauses for commercial breaks. Unlike its more flamboyant cousin, opera, oratorios are typically performed in concert settings, featuring long-winded recitatives and choruses that can make a choir sound like they’ve had one too many cups of tea. This genre has been perfect for converting biblical tales into soaring melodies, with the advantage that you can shed a tear without anyone seeing your popcorn munching neighbour dozing off in the corner.