The Final ‘Messiah’ Of The Century

WATERBURY — The Waterbury Chorale will present the complete Messiah by George Frideric Handel in two performances for the Christmas season. The first will be on Saturday, December 4, at 7:30 pm, at St. John’s Church, on the green in Waterbury. The second will be the following night, on Sunday, December 5, at 3 pm, at Congregational Church, on the green in Litchfield.

In describing the upcoming event, Chorale Music Director Ron Konetchy stated, “Messiah is the world’s most popular oratorio. You have heard excerpts countless times; and likely you have often heard shortened versions of the whole. The whole, however, is greater than the sum of its parts.

“Therefore, for the occasion of this very special Christmas, we saved the best and biggest for last – the complete Messiah. And we will perform it anew as an art that is both living and timeless.”

Joining the Waterbury Chorale & Orchestra will be soloists Lynne Strow, soprano; Laura Mashburn, mezzo-soprano; Stephen Wilder, tenor; and Robert Wilber, baritone.

Tickets are available by calling Jean Schmidt at 203/755-2561 or Carol Palmer at 264-7120. Ticket prices are $18 in advance by phone or mail, $12 for children 12 or under, and $20 at the door.

The Waterbury Chorale is in its 32nd year of bringing outstanding choral music to the greater Waterbury area. The group has performed a wide range of repertoire, from established masterworks to varied programs of contemporary music and music from other cultures. During the past ten years, the chorale has performed on tours in Eastern Europe, Ireland, Wales, Denmark, Norway, China and Austria.

Ron Konetchy has been music director of the Waterbury Chorale for the past 20 years. Mr Konetchy, a graduate of the Yale School of Music, has been recognized as one of the outstanding choral directors in New England.