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A post-Easter treat:
Messiah
by S.
Bend’s Vesper Chorale
with
College’s Chamber Singers
Manchester College’s Chamber Singers will
join the Vesper Chorale and Vesper Chamber Orchestra of South Bend to
perform the entire Messiah on Saturday, April 22 at the College.
This post-Easter concert at 7 p.m. in Cordier Auditorium celebrates the
genius of Handel’s well-loved work
Wishart Bell, founder of the Vesper Chorale
and Orchestra, will conduct the North Manchester concert and a second
performance the next day in South Bend. Tickets for the Manchester
College performance are $8; for reservations, call 260-982-5551
or get your tickets at the door on the evening of the performance.
Messiah
requires excellent music readers and vocal stamina, notes Dr. Debra J.
Lynn, director of choral organizations and voice at Manchester. “The
sheer number of notes to learn is unbelievable – the entire performance
will be about three hours long! Much of the music is very difficult and
many of the tempos are very fast.
“Few people ever have the opportunity to
perform Messiah in its entirety,” she adds. “The complete Messiah
is a celebration of the entire life of Christ – His birth, life, death
and resurrection. Usually, ensembles perform only the Christmas portion
(or the first part) and then add the “Hallelujah” chorus at the
end. However, we decided that a complete Messiah would be
wonderful for our singers and our audience!”
Most people are accustomed to hearing
Messiah performed by a large ensemble – a full orchestra and a choir
of 200 or more. The 20-member Chamber Singers and 20-member Vesper
Chorale are endeavoring to create a performance that will be
historically accurate: small choir and orchestra, said Lynn.
The South Bend concert will take place at 4
p.m. on Sunday, April 23, in Holy Family Church on Mayflower Road. For
tickets ($15 adults, $10 students): 574-282-2317.
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