Greenville Choral Union and Orchestra to Perform Handel’s Messiah
Published: April 13, 2021
The Greenville Choral Union and Orchestra will celebrate their 80th seasonal performance of George Frideric Handel's oratorio Messiah on Sunday, December 5 at 4:00 p.m. in the Whitlock Music Center on the campus of Greenville College .
Performers
The 100-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. Guest vocal soloists will include: soprano Kristen Markell (Greenville, IL); mezzo-soprano Stacey Ritter (Edwardsville, IL); and a number of Greenville College students from Colorado, Vermont, Michigan, California and Illinois.
Nine professional instrumentalists from the St. Louis area will join the Greenville Chamber Orchestra, directed by Professor Joe Noble of Greenville College. Dr. Catherine Burge, Professor of Music at Greenville College, is the accompanist for the Choral Union. Greenville resident Carlo van Ulft, a professional carillonist (Centralia, IL), will serve as organist. Dr. Jeff Wilson, Director of Choral Activities at Greenville College and Music Director of the Greenville Choral Union, will conduct the concert.
Program Overview
The concert celebrates the music of the popular Baroque composer George Frideric Handel (1685-1759). The program will feature Handel's most famous sacred work entitled, Messiah: An Oratorio. Originally performed to benefit a charity in Dublin, Ireland in April, 1741, this year marks the 80th performance of the work in Greenville. This year's concert will also include additional seasonal selections performed by the Choral Union, the Greenville College Choir, and the Greenville College Chamber Singers.
Seating for the concert will begin at 3:30 p.m. An offering will be taken to help defray the costs of the concert. Immediately following the concert, President Larry Linamen will host a reception for the community at the Tidball Alumni House on the Greenville College campus.
For those who are not able to attend the performance, the concert will be broadcast live on FM 89.5, WGRN.
For more information about the Greenville Choral Union and Greenville Chamber Orchestra, please contact the Greenville College Department of Music at (618) 664-6560.
