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Rockford Choral Union Presents 74th ‘Messiah’ By Janine Pumilia
T
he Rockford Choral Union’s performance of George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” is among the most beloved Christmas traditions in our region and certainly the longest-running, having begun in 1945. This year’s performance will be at 3 p.m. both Saturday and Sunday, Nov. 30 and Dec. 1, at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 920 3rd Ave. This is the original location where it was first performed in Rockford. The three-part story begins with Old Testament prophecies of Jesus’ birth, leading up to the Gospel accounts of Jesus Christ’s birth, life, death, resurrection and glorification. The famous and muchloved “Hallelujah Chorus” is sung at the end of Part Two. Many patrons say the concert starts off their Christmas season right, by
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Smart Living Weekly
reminding them of the reason we celebrate Christmas in the first place – Jesus Christ. “Every single word is directly from the King James Bible,” says Webb Stevens, vice president of the board of governors for the Rockford Choral Union and a “Messiah” singer for six years with wife Sylvia. “We really focus on diction so people can understand the words and the message. The music is amazing, of course, but we’re all about the message.” What began as a labor of love in
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local Lutheran churches, at the end of World War II, has grown to include people of all Christian denominations, says Stevens. More than 60 churches are now represented in the local performance. Singers aged 13 to 80-something commit to six Sunday afternoon rehearsals in October and November along with the two concerts over the Thanksgiving weekend. Some have sung “Messiah” for more than 30 years. The late Elsie Lundvall, the last charter member of the choral union, will be remembered at this year’s concert in a special memorial. Up until a few years ago, she performed with the groups every year since 1945. Some singers come from the Chicago suburbs to be part of Rockford Choral Union’s “Messiah.” “We’ve earned a reputation as one of the better choral performances in the country,” says Stevens.
