October 5, 2004
88th Annual Performance Includes
Hands-On Handel: Messiah for Kids
“Hallelujah” means joy and praise, especially as the Christmas holiday
season begins. For 88 years, the Independence Messiah Choir has celebrated and
shared these feelings with the community and travelers to the area through a
performance celebrating the life of Jesus-Handel’s Messiah. This
year, for the first time, children are invited to sample a bit of what this
musical tradition is all about with a special afternoon event designed
especially for them and their families.
The Independence Messiah Choir will present its 88th annual performance of
Handel’s Messiah on Saturday, November 20, at 8:00 p.m. Earlier that
same day, families are invited to bring young children to experience a fun
45-minute introduction to this inspiring oratorio in the majestic chamber of
the Community of Christ Auditorium.
Events producer and Worship Ministries coordinator Jane Gardner said, “We
are excited about including a special activity-based performance for children
in this year’s concert schedule. Giving children and families a chance to
experience Handel’s masterpiece in this shortened concert is a wonderful way
to share the story of Jesus with the community.”
Created especially for kids ages four to eight, Hands-On Handel: Messiah
for Kids will include a sing-along, and instrumental and vocal demonstrations.
Bryan Busby, tympanist and well-known meteorologist in the Kansas City
metropolitan area, will emcee. The highlight concert will feature members of
the Independence Messiah Choir and the Messiah Festival Orchestra. Each child
will receive a program/activity book to take home. Messiah producer Eileen
Terril said, “We’ve want to encourage budding Messiah enthusiasts
by providing a fun atmosphere to enjoy great classical music! We’re going to
have a great time singing and moving and learning with the kids and Bryan
Busby.”
Incredible Performers
The complete 300-voice Independence Messiah Choir and 30-piece Messiah
Festival Orchestra will come together for the evening performance under the
baton of world-renowned British conductor Sir Philip Ledger, CBE. (See the May
2004 Herald, page 30, for more about Sir Ledger.)
Drawing on an 88-year history, the choir’s annual performance is lauded
in the community. A local metropolitan area newspaper, The Kansas City Star,
exclaimed, “Exceptional music making. … With such high-quality music
making, it’s easy to see why the Independence Messiah has become a
Kansas City tradition.”
Four acclaimed soloists will join the 88th annual performance: soprano
Rebecca Lloyd, counter-tenor Jay Carter, tenor Robert Bracey, and baritone
William Andrew Stuckey. Having been part of the performance during the 1990s,
Lloyd returns for a second appearance with the Independence Messiah Choir.
She is known for her versatility as a concert and oratorio specialist, as
well as for her prominence as a choral musician. Lloyd regularly performs with
several prominent Kansas City groups and has performed numerous times at
Carnegie Hall with the Robert Shaw Festival Singers.
Carter returns for a second consecutive appearance. He is quickly gaining
recognition as one of the nation’s finest counter-tenors who is lauded for
luminous tone and stylish interpretations. His concert appearances include
working with area symphonies and university groups, and recently the Yale
University Collegium Musicum and Schola Cantorum.
Bracey also returns to the stage for a second appearance, having served as
the tenor soloist for the 86th annual performance. Bracey has performed
throughout the United States and has made appearances in Canada, Russia, and
Europe. He was awarded first place in the 2002 Oratorio Society of New York’s
annual international solo competition at Carnegie Hall. Among his many
additional honors are a first-place award in the regional competition of the
National Association of Teachers of Singing and being named regional finalist
in the New York Metropolitan Opera auditions.
Stuckey will make his first appearance with the Independence Messiah Choir.
He has performed leading roles with the Washington Opera, Augusta Opera,
Toledo Opera, Roanoke Opera, and the Sarasota Opera. Stuckey has earned many
prestigious prizes and grants, including first prize in both the Florida Grand
Opera’s Young Patronesses of the Opera competition and the Palm Beach Opera
competition.
Ticket Options
Tickets for Hands-On Handel: Messiah for Kids will be $3 at the door
on the afternoon of the concert. Tickets for the 88th annual performance are
available now for $32 to $8 by calling Central Ticket Office at (816) 235-6222
or purchasing online at www.CofChrist.org/Messiah.
Friends’ Brunch
Friends of the Independence Messiah Choir may enjoy a delicious brunch with
Sir Ledger, premium seating for the evening performance, and their name in the
program for $80. Friends tickets are available from the Messiah Festival
Office at (816) 521-3051.
For more information on this year’s performance and performers, the brand
new Hands-On Handel: Messiah for Kids, Friends’ Brunch, and tickets, visit
www.CofChrist.org/Messiah.
--Kendra Friend reporting
From the October 2004 Herald.
Used with permission.
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