Eureka Symphony Presents Handel’s Messiah: A Glorious Holiday Tradition

Press release from the Eureka Symphony:

Hallelujah! It’s time for families and music lovers of all ages to join the Eureka Symphony in a holiday rendition of G.F. Handel’s glorious Messiah, Friday and Saturday, December 6^th and 7^th, at 7:30 p.m. at the Arkley Center for Performing Arts in downtown Eureka. This is an opportunity for the community to come together and embrace the comfort and joy that this concert inspires.

Conductor and Artistic Director Carol Jacobson is reuniting the Eureka Symphony’s orchestra with the outstanding quartet of vocal soloists who captivated audiences last season in Mozart’s Requiem.  Clara Lisle is described by Opera News as having “lovely soprano voice with a great deal of power as well as lyricism”. Sara Couden, contralto, is praised by Opera News for her “unusually rich and resonant voice.” David Powell, tenor, has performed and studied extensively from New York to Dell’ Arte, from the Boston Conservatory and Juilliard to Humboldt State University. Kevin Thompson is celebrated by The New York Times as a “stentorian bass,” and by San Francisco Classical Voice as possessing “a voice with extraordinary range, depth, color combined with a commanding stage presence.” All four vocalists, sponsored by Lori Dengler and Tom Lisle, have roots in Humboldt County and treasure this opportunity to perform with and for their community for this cherished holiday tradition. The guest vocalists’ full bios, along with the lyrics for the concert, can be found at EurekaSymphony.org/messiah.

The chorus is the largest in the Symphony’s history, with almost 60 members from the community. These talented and dedicated singers have been rehearsing weekly since the beginning of September at the Eureka Woman’s Club and are excited to join the orchestra and guest vocalists. “For the chorus, their voice is their instrument,” said Jacobson. “Each one is responsible for singing in a way that makes a cohesive group with a cohesive perspective, and they do such a wonderful job. They should be very proud of themselves – I am proud of them!”

Messiah premiered in Dublin, Ireland in 1742, and quickly became one of the most popular pieces of music ever written. This timeless oratorio, a large-scale dramatic work for chorus, soloists, and orchestra, features the instrumentation characteristic of baroque ensembles–strings, oboes, bassoons, and basso continuo–enriched by trumpets and timpani. Messiah is the source of the beloved “Hallelujah Chorus,” which becomes even more stirring when heard in a full, vibrant performance. Although most often performed during the Christmas season, Messiah is an extended meditation on the life of Jesus, from birth in Part I, through life and death in Part II, to resurrection in Part III. The concert will include about two hours of the three-hour work, drawing from all three parts, and concluding with the unforgettable, heart-lifting Great Amen.

For tickets call (707) 845-3655 and for more information visit www.eurekasymphony.org/messiah/. Tickets range from $21-54 depending on where you are seated, with discounts for season packages. Free Family Tickets are available for up to 2 children (ages 5-12) per paid adult ticket. Best Seat Available RUSH tickets, CASH ONLY, are available at the Box Office at 6:00 p.m. before each concert but are subject to availability and this concert may sell out. $15 adults, $10 w/student ID.

Be sure to join host and Concertmaster Terrie Baune and pianist John Chernoff for “Musical Notes,” 6:30 – 7:00 p.m. before the concert. Learn more about G.F. Handel, Messiah, and other lively and entertaining concert details.

To learn more about the concert in advance, join host Elizabeth Morrison on Zoom from 6:00-7:30 p.m. on December 2, (the Monday before the concert). For details visit “Live & Local Concert Preview”, a free OLLI Special Interest Group.

For details on upcoming concerts in the Eureka Symphony’s 2024-2025 concert season visit EurekaSymphony.org.

The Eureka Symphony, under the Artistic Director and Conductor Carol Jacobson, is a community orchestra founded in 1991 which presents five concert sets per season of music performed by extraordinarily talented and hard-working community members, often joined by special guest artists.

Date: Saturday, December 6 & 7th, 2024

Time: 7:30 p.m.

Location: Arkley Center for Performing Arts

Call for Tickets: 707-845-3655

More info at: www.eurekasymphony.org/messiah/