Vista Online

Fall/Winter 2001

The Tradition of a Promise

Greenville College Choral Union Presents The Messiah

We have been rehearsing for seventy years. Each December, the Greenville community has gathered for a beloved annual event. Little did Robert W. Woods know that on December 18, 1930, under his direction, the Greenville College performance of George Friederic Handel’s Messiah would become a tradition that involved literally thousands of people to follow.

A group of gifted musicians, known as the Choral Union, provides a Christmas concert for listeners of every background to enjoy. As this was the 70th anniversary year, the concert featured Part I of the Messiah as well as Johann Sebastian Bach’s stunning setting of the Magnificat in b minor. Under the direction of Dr. Jeff Wilson, Choral Union consists of members of the surrounding community, Greenville College students, faculty, and staff.

This fall, the Choral Union spent time each week learning and rehearsing together in preparation for a moving and jubilant concert. If asked, any student would openly speak of the time and commitment that an undertaking of this size entails. For three months, Tuesday nights were spent rigorously learning of the birth of Christ through Handel’s eyes, and the Christian faith experienced through Bach’s creativity.

While traditionally the Messiah is the primary focus of the concert, many other pieces have accompanied the work over the years. On this eventful year, Dr. Wilson selected the Bach Magnificat in b minor for the first half of the performance. In the Magnificat, Bach set Latin text to music and portrayed Mary’s Song with an ingenious understanding of the emotion that must have been felt by all who were involved.

As the music and text weave between chorus and soloists, the story unfolds with a clear and logical sequence. The mood constantly shifts from triumphant chorus to contemplative solos, ending as it began with a stunning finale of fully orchestrated declarations of faith.

Written in only 19 days in 1741, Messiah is without question Handel’s most well-known work. Due to the length of the entire oratorio, most performances feature only parts of the entire work. As in the Magnificat, Messiah alternates four soloists and a chorus with orchestral accompaniment. Part I—the Christmas portion—tells of the promise of a Messiah and the fulfillment of that promise through the Christmas story.

In addition to voices, an orchestra was brought together using members of the surrounding community as well as students, faculty, and even recently retired faces from the college.

The musicians practicing this fall were not only singing this music with each other, but with all those who have sung the Magnificat and the Messiah since their composition centuries ago. By getting involved with this Christmas concert, they were connecting to decades of Greenville College history—each year building on the one before.

Stacey Stohre

Last updated: July 9, 2001