Handel’s ‘Messiah’ returns to Weidner Center
The University of Wisconsin-Green Bay Chorale and Green Bay Choral Artists present George Frideric Handel’s Messiah on Saturday, Dec. 4, inside Cofrin Family Hall at the Weidner Center for the Performing Arts.
“This is the third year in a row we have presented Messiah in some capacity,” said UW-Green Bay Prof. Randall Meder. This year, Meder conducts the joint production of all three parts of Handel’s Messiah. The concert starts at 7:30 p.m.
“This is a collaboration involving professional orchestra players from around the region, the top choral group at UW-Green Bay, community members, faculty members and professional vocal soloists from across the country,” Meder said.
Meder will conduct the UW-Green Bay Chorale, made up of the top choral students; the Green Bay Choral Artists, a select community ensemble founded by Meder; and the Festival Orchestra, which includes members of the Green Bay Symphony and other professional musicians from the area.
Featured soloists include:
• Prof. Courtney Sherman, soprano, music faculty member at UW-Green Bay.
• Prof. Sarah Meredith Livingston, mezzo-soprano, music faculty member at UW-Green Bay.
• Gerrod Pagenkopf, countertenor, a graduate of Gillett High School who now lives in Boston. He graduated from UW-Madison and the University of Houston.
• Erik Gustafson, tenor, a resident of New York City and graduate of Arizona State University.
• Michael Rosewall, bass, a music faculty member at St. Norbert College in De Pere.
Messiah, a large-scale piece written for chorus, soloists and orchestra, is Handel’s best-known work. Composed in the early 1740s, Messiah is one of the most popular choral/orchestral works of all time. Although the text is sacred (drawn from the King James Bible), it was intended for performance in the concert hall rather than the church.
Tickets for Messiah are $15 for adults and $12 for students and seniors. Call (800) 328-8587 or order online.
