It's Messiah Time Again!

It’s Messiah Time Again!

It’s one of my favorite times of the year—Messiah time!  Since 2002, I have been asked to conduct the choral portions of the Rotary Club of Park Forest’s annual” Do-It-Yourself Messiah.”  First, it was because two of my sons played with the Suburban Youth Symphony Orchestra—I was an Orchestra Mom who just happened to be a choral conductor in *real life*--and then they realized I knew what I was doing.  It’s a real pleasure because I love Messiah and love doing it.  I learn something new every time and I’ve been conducting Messiah off and on since 1975.  Before that, since my Mom was a coloratura soprano and sang the soprano arias for money almost every Christmas of my childhood, I can say I grew up knowing and listening and loving it.

 In graduate school, I was an assistant to the director of choral studies at my university, and worked with her and the university chorus on Messiah, and learned some *fun facts* I bet you don’t know—even if you have been singing Messiah as long as I’ve been conducting it!

 Fun Fact: The real title of the work is Messiah, not “The Messiah.”  The publisher, G. Schirmer, of the most used version (1912) put “The Messiah” on the cover and everyone has assumed that was the correct title.

Fun Fact: Messiah was commissioned by Dublin, Ireland as a fund raiser for that city’s Foundling Hospital, and was first performed in a secular hall on April 13, 1742. It was really intended as a Lenten piece.

Fun Fact: In a codicil to G.F Handel’s will, he left a copy of the Messiah score and all parts to the Foundling Hospital in Dublin, Ireland. Handel died on the seventeenth anniversary of the first performance of his masterpiece.

 It makes me feel so good we are continuing Handel’s charitable work with the Rotary’s DIY Messiah.  The Rotary does so many wonderful things, I’m sure Handel would approve!

 Hope to see you Saturday, December 7 at 3 pm!

 The Rotary Club of Park Forest’s 29th Annual “Do-It-Yourself” Messia

 Singers: bring your own score or

purchase at the door for $10

 We invite you, your family and friends to participate in the 29th Annual

“Do-It-Yourself” Messiah. You may sing, listen and/or participate as a
financial supporter. Either way, it is an inspiring and most enjoyable
afternoon.

 If you have ever been in the middle of hundreds of voices singing the

Messiah (Handel’s) you know how wonderful it really is. If you have
not—you owe it to yourself this year! Please join us. Because of the
generosity of people like you, tickets are FREE!

 When: Saturday, December 7th, 2013 at 3pm

Where: Faith United Protestant Church
10 Hemlock Street, Park Forest, IL

Frederick Kuester, Conductor

Lisa Kristina, Soprano
Jo Rodenburg, Alto
Jack Cotterell, Tenor
David Buursma, Bass

Marie Grass Amenta, Choral Conductor

The Music Connection Chamber Orchestra
Suburban Youth Symphony Orchestra