FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11/12/01

CONTACT:
Jeffrey Wilson (jwilson@greenville.edu)
Associate Professor of Music
Greenville College
(618) 664-6561

Greenville Choral Union and Orchestra to Perform Messiah in 71st Season Concert on Sunday, December 2

GREENVILLE, ILL. - The Greenville Choral Union and Orchestra will begin their 71st season with a performance of Antonio Vivaldi's Gloria in D Major and George Frideric Handel's Messiah (Part I) on Sunday, December 2 at 4:00 p.m. in the sanctuary of the Greenville (Ill.) Free Methodist Church.

Performers
The 125-voice Choral Union and the 30-piece Orchestra includes members of south central Illinois communities in addition to students, staff, and faculty members from Greenville College. Vocal soloists will include selected members of the chorus.

Ten professional instrumentalists from the St. Louis area will join local orchestra members. Tom Stampfli, who is in his second year as professor of music and head of the music department at Greenville College, will accompany the Choral Union. Greenville resident Pammala Goodenough, a music teacher in the Bond County Unit #2 School District, will serve as organist. Dr. Jeff Wilson, director of choral activities at Greenville College, will direct the concert.

Program Overview
The concert celebrates the music of Baroque composers Antonio Vivaldi (1678-1741) and George Frideric Handel (1685-1750). The program begins with Vivaldi's most famous sacred work, the Gloria in D Major. This delightful work is one of the most popular pieces in the entire choral/orchestral repertoire. The program will conclude with the Christmas portion (Part I) of Handel's oratorio Messiah.

For those who are not able to attend the performance, the concert will be broadcast live on FM 89.5, WGRN.

For more information on the performance, contact the Greenville College Department of Music at (618) 664-6560 or email jwilson@greenville.edu.

Last updated: November 28, 2001