The final performance of Grand Valley State University's Fall Arts
Celebration 2010 will be a special performance in downtown Grand
Rapids, where the community can come together to celebrate Grand
Valley's 50th anniversary.
A Fall Arts Celebration Holiday Gift: George Frideric Handel's
"Messiah"
Monday, December 6, 8 p.m.,
Fountain
Street Church, 24 Fountain Street NE, Grand Rapids.
The
performance is free and open to the public.
Members of at least one organization have already made plans to
attend. A group of 40-45 people from Visually Impaired Persons for
Progress, the Grand Rapids Chapter of the Michigan Council for the
Blind and Visually Impaired, has chosen the performance for their
special holiday event. Organizer Mary Sibley said the event will be a
special outing for many of their members, whose ages range from 20-60
years old.
The 80-minute performance of the first part of Handel's popular
oratorio will bring together the University Arts Chorale, alumni
members of that ensemble, and an orchestra consisting of faculty and
students. Concluding with the always uplifting "Hallelujah"
chorus, the piece is a fitting vehicle for celebration.
Performing the memorable solo arias will be Department of Music
faculty members Kathryn Stieler, soprano; Dale Schriemer, baritone;
Sandra Maytan, mezzo-soprano; and Min Jin, tenor. Last performed at
Grand Valley in 1994, this rendition of "Messiah" will
feature a 70-member chorus directed by Ellen Pool, associate professor
of music. The orchestra and chorus will be conducted in performance by
Henry E. Duitman, assistant professor of music.
"Conceived for the concert hall, 'Messiah' was not
performed in a church until eight years after its first performance in
Dublin in 1742," said Danny Phipps, chair of Grand Valley’s
Department of Music. "Grand Valley selected Fountain Street
Church for the performance because it is an historic venue noted for
beautiful acoustics, perfect for hearing this choral masterwork."
For more information about Grand Valley’s Fall Arts Celebration,
call (616) 331-2180, or visit www.gvsu.edu/fallarts.
Learn about Grand Valley’s 50 Anniversary at www.gvsu.edu/anniversary.
