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Hallelujah! You're in for a treat!
The Community Choir's presentation of Handel's "Messiah" at the Fox Theater Friday and Saturday at 8 p.m. and Sunday afternoon at 2 will be an experience that will make you very proud of our community. Seventy one people are involved in this magnificent production that includes 48 choir members, four excellent soloists, two accompanists, and a special treat, 16 young people from the Christian Heritage Academy Orchestra with their stringed instruments. All of this is under the direction of well-known musician Wes Morton.
I went rather reluctantly for the first rehearsal of all the groups together. I was reluctant because I had a cold, the weather was very cold, and I am not enough of a musician to adequately review such a classical piece. So I decided to use the program book, get a quote from Wes Morton about the event, and slip out soon. An hour and a half later I was still glued to my seat. No way did I want to leave early. As I looked at the stage, completely full of our talented friends, neighbors, business people, doctors, lawyers, ministers, retirees, farmers, office workers, etc. responding so enthusiastically and perfectly to Wes Morton's direction I was awed by what our community could do together. Then, as I looked just below the stage to notice the extremely talented young musicians in the orchestra, I was excited to see this new element added to our local musical programs. I expected Rhonda Leonard's accompaniment to be great as usual, and again marveled at her ability to be on top of every note throughout the entire performance. Another new addition was having Jan Davis as accompanist on an organ. This obviously is not a pipe organ, but the music from this portable organ enhanced the evening also.
And those string instrumentalists were amazing! I have heard young violinists that weren't too much fun to hear. But these boys and girls who played throughout the entire performance were amazing. Even Wes Morton who is used to seeing talented young people excel musically expressed his awe at this group's talent and dedication.
This would have been enough to keep me enthralled throughout the evening, but the four soloists completed the evening musically. Adam Coleman, the tenor, is currently a student at Missouri Southern majoring in history education. He lives with his wife in Nevada now and also sings with his brothers in a group called the Coleman Boys. Bill Martin, one of our newer retirees to Nevada who has added so much to our musical heritage since he arrived, was the bass recitative. Anita Byers, alto, is well-known to the musical students at the Nevada High School with her work with the show choirs. The soprano, Theresa Forrester Spencer, who has been teaching music at Cottey College since 1986, sings in this production in addition to all her activities on the Cottey campus. Each of the four soloists sang their difficult recitatives extremely well in spite of it being the first full rehearsal. Their professionalism made it appear as if they had been practicing together all fall.
Wes Morton told me that he was absolutely thrilled to work with this group and thinks it is wonderful to hear the quality of music that comes from them. He is very pleased at the number of participants who have come from other nearby communities to share in this experience.
I plan to return again, and with all the trimmings of a performance for an audience, I imagine I will enjoy it even more. This will not be because they will be even better, but because I will enjoy sharing the evening with the citizens of Nevada and all our neighboring communities. Each musical or theatrical performance is improved a hundred-fold by having an appreciative audience.
When the entire group ends the evening with the stirring Hallelujah Chorus I plan to be standing there with many of my friends. Don't miss this meaningful addition to the Christmas season.