Countertenor John Holiday brings a special voice to SPCO's 'Messiah'

John Holiday's vocal teacher in college told him that he'd have to get used to the reactions of people who hear him sing for the first time.

"They are always going to gasp," she said. "They are going to do that, because you look like a linebacker and you sound like an angel."

Holiday, who is performing in "Messiah" with the St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, is a countertenor. He defined the term:

"A countertenor is a man who sings in the treble range, anywhere from an alto or a mezzo to soprano range. That's all it is: a man who is singing in his treble voice," he said.

Even so, people tend to be amazed. Holiday admits it can be jarring to hear a man sing so high.

"It can also be a very transformative experience, too, for people, and that's what I hope happens when they hear me sing," he continued.

This weekend will be the third time Holiday has sung "Messiah" with the SPCO. Artistic Director Kyu-Young Kim said that, along with his voice, Holiday has a remarkable stage presence.

"You lose any sense that it is a man or a woman singing," he said. "You just really sense the music completely. It can be angelic, it can be powerful and very dramatic. And after a while you forget to think about who is singing and really dive into the music."

John Holiday grew up in Rosenberg, Texas, on the outskirts of Houston. Under the guidance of his grandmother, whom he calls Big Mama, he began singing in the church choir. When he went to college, he thought he was a tenor.

Then, during a discussion with his vocal teacher, Barbara Hill Moore, he told her he could sing high, and showed her. It was she who told him he was a countertenor, a term he didn't know.

"And she says, 'If you are going to be a countertenor, then you can't be going back and forth. You need to decide today that this is what you are wanting, today, so we can really develop it.' And at that very moment, that is when I decided officially to be a countertenor," he said.

It's been a lot of work. He embarked on a life devoted to performance and study.

"And you study until you die, that's what I think," he said. "You keep on going to see a teacher. And so that's what I do. I probably go and see a teacher every two or three weeks if I can."

Performing "Messiah" with the SPCO is always special, he said. As a Christian, he loves the piece. "Having Handel's music coupled with the biblical text, I don't think it gets any better than that," he said.

He said the orchestra is welcoming, and also deeply cares about the music. But "what I love the most, I have to say, is the audience," he said, adding that this community truly understands and appreciates music.

This weekend's concerts are almost sold out. The fourth concert, at 2 p.m. Sunday, will be broadcast live on the stations of Classical MPR.

Watch: John Holiday sings 'Stille amare' by G.F. Handel in 2015