Handel’s ‘Messiah’ will be held Dec. 15 at Oak Grove
Concertmaster Amy Glick Helmuth and guest conductor Brian Wiebe will lead the orchestra in the Dec. 15 performance of Handel's “Messiah” at Smithville's Oak Grove Mennonite Church.
George Frideric Handel was born in Halle, Germany in 1685 and died in London, England in 1759. Known as one of history’s greatest composers, he is most famous for the “Messiah,” which was first performed in Dublin, Ireland in 1742 and now reverently enjoyed by millions during the Christmas season.
Come hear Handel’s “Messiah” performed at Oak Grove Mennonite Church in Smithville on Sunday, Dec. 15 at 2:30 p.m. Founded in 1818, the church has a long-standing tradition since 1931 of hosting this work and will perform selections this year for its 89th rendition.
Soloists will include professional musicians Lara Troyer, Hannah Rowlands, Brian Keith Johnson and Tim Culvert. Other accomplished musicians will make up an orchestra led by concertmaster Amy Glick Helmuth and guest conductor Brian Wiebe from Goshen, Indiana. The approximate 80-member choir is made up of local musicians who love to sing.
Oak Grove offers this to the community at no charge as a way to celebrate the Christmas season. A freewill offering will help defray expenses, and a capacity crowd is expected.