The Zeeland Civic Chorus will present Handel’s “Messiah” next Thursday, Dec. 4, at 7 p.m. at Trinity Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, and Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at Central Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Holland. The Civic Chorus has been performing Handel’s “Messiah” for 85 years.
By Greg Chandler
Zeeland Record
On Dec. 11, 1940, hundreds packed Third Christian Reformed Church in Zeeland to hear an 88-voice choir of community members present, for the first time, George Frederic Handel’s oratorio “Messiah.”
According to an account of that initial performance that was published in the Zeeland Record, the turnout was so large that some people had to be moved to the church basement, where amplifiers were set up so they could hear the performance even if they couldn’t see it. Others were turned away at the door when there was simply no more room in the sanctuary or the basement, according to the Record story that was published the following day.
Eighty-five years later, the tradition continues.
The Zeeland Civic Chorus will present two performances of Handel’s “Messiah” next month - Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at Trinity Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, and Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at Central Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Holland.
This year’s Civic Chorus features 106 members, ranging from high school students to seniors who have been signing in the chorus for more than 30 years. They have been practicing on Sunday afternoons over the past couple of months at First Protestant Reformed Church of Holland in Zeeland to prepare for their performances.
“I love to conduct it. It’s exhilarating, it’s worship, it’s challenging musically and it’s challenging vocally and physically,” said Richard Cory, who is in his 21st year of conducting the Civic Chorus.
“I really love this group. They are fun people. They do it because they love it. Most of them are not trained singers … A lot of people have come every year since I’ve been conducting.”
The Civic Chorus’ performances have generated invitations for the group to sing as part of a mass choral performance of “Messiah” at Carnegie Hall in New York City, as well as to sing internationally in places such as Barcelona, Spain and Normandy, France, Cory said.
Cory first sang Handel’s “Messiah” as a student at Taylor University in Indiana. He is a former voice instructor and director of opera at Ohio University, sang professionally in Germany for several years, and was more recently a soloist and associate director for the Holland Chorale. A former tool designer at ITW-Drawform in Zeeland, Cory also served as music director at Central Avenue CRC before retiring in 2018.
While most casual listeners may be familiar with its “Hallelujah Chorus,” Handel’s “Messiah” is a lengthy, extensive work that involves 53 movements covering the full range of the story of Jesus Christ. It begins with the prophecy in the Old Testament book of Isaiah of the coming Messiah, then continues through the birth, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, finishing with the final scene based on the book of Revelation, with the singing of the anthemic “Worthy Is The Lamb.”
“The vast majority of the singers are doing this as an act of worship,” Cory said. “It’s a witness to the community of their love for Christ.”
Among the featured musicians that will perform with the Civic Chorus include longtime organist Rhonda Edgington, who is organist and music director at Hope Church (RCA) in Holland and also is an organ instructor at Calvin University. Other musicians include Bruce Formsma on trumpet and Dan Timmer on timpani. Featured soloists include Julia Cosgrove, soprano; Rebecca Russcher, mezzo-
soprano; Jon Lovegrove, tenor; and William Bokhout, operatic baritone.
Admission to both performances of Handel’s “Messiah” is free. The Civic Chorus supports itself through donations from benefactors and freewill offerings that are taken at performances, Cory said.
“I’ve had people tell me ‘you need to charge admission, because you can make a lot more money (to support the chorus),’” he said. “I think, what about these people who have three kids and they won’t have the experience to see this because they can’t afford 20 bucks a pop?”
“It really warms my heart when I see families there with three, four kids sitting there through the whole thing. Yes, this is something that you can do, and it’s open to everyone,” Cory added.
The Central Avenue CRC performance of Handel’s “Messiah” will be livestreamed on the church’s YouTube channel at you tube.com/CentralAvenueChris tian ReformedChurch. For more information about the Zeeland Civic Chorus, visit zeelandcivicchorus.com.
Zeeland Record
On Dec. 11, 1940, hundreds packed Third Christian Reformed Church in Zeeland to hear an 88-voice choir of community members present, for the first time, George Frederic Handel’s oratorio “Messiah.”
According to an account of that initial performance that was published in the Zeeland Record, the turnout was so large that some people had to be moved to the church basement, where amplifiers were set up so they could hear the performance even if they couldn’t see it. Others were turned away at the door when there was simply no more room in the sanctuary or the basement, according to the Record story that was published the following day.
Eighty-five years later, the tradition continues.
The Zeeland Civic Chorus will present two performances of Handel’s “Messiah” next month - Thursday, Dec. 4 at 7 p.m. at Trinity Protestant Reformed Church of Hudsonville, and Tuesday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at Central Avenue Christian Reformed Church in Holland.
This year’s Civic Chorus features 106 members, ranging from high school students to seniors who have been signing in the chorus for more than 30 years. They have been practicing on Sunday afternoons over the past couple of months at First Protestant Reformed Church of Holland in Zeeland to prepare for their performances.
“I love to conduct it. It’s exhilarating, it’s worship, it’s challenging musically and it’s challenging vocally and physically,” said Richard Cory, who is in his 21st year of conducting the Civic Chorus.
“I really love this group. They are fun people. They do it because they love it. Most of them are not trained singers … A lot of people have come every year since I’ve been conducting.”
The Civic Chorus’ performances have generated invitations for the group to sing as part of a mass choral performance of “Messiah” at Carnegie Hall in New York City, as well as to sing internationally in places such as Barcelona, Spain and Normandy, France, Cory said.
Cory first sang Handel’s “Messiah” as a student at Taylor University in Indiana. He is a former voice instructor and director of opera at Ohio University, sang professionally in Germany for several years, and was more recently a soloist and associate director for the Holland Chorale. A former tool designer at ITW-Drawform in Zeeland, Cory also served as music director at Central Avenue CRC before retiring in 2018.
While most casual listeners may be familiar with its “Hallelujah Chorus,” Handel’s “Messiah” is a lengthy, extensive work that involves 53 movements covering the full range of the story of Jesus Christ. It begins with the prophecy in the Old Testament book of Isaiah of the coming Messiah, then continues through the birth, death, resurrection and ascension of Jesus, finishing with the final scene based on the book of Revelation, with the singing of the anthemic “Worthy Is The Lamb.”
“The vast majority of the singers are doing this as an act of worship,” Cory said. “It’s a witness to the community of their love for Christ.”
Among the featured musicians that will perform with the Civic Chorus include longtime organist Rhonda Edgington, who is organist and music director at Hope Church (RCA) in Holland and also is an organ instructor at Calvin University. Other musicians include Bruce Formsma on trumpet and Dan Timmer on timpani. Featured soloists include Julia Cosgrove, soprano; Rebecca Russcher, mezzo-
soprano; Jon Lovegrove, tenor; and William Bokhout, operatic baritone.
Admission to both performances of Handel’s “Messiah” is free. The Civic Chorus supports itself through donations from benefactors and freewill offerings that are taken at performances, Cory said.
“I’ve had people tell me ‘you need to charge admission, because you can make a lot more money (to support the chorus),’” he said. “I think, what about these people who have three kids and they won’t have the experience to see this because they can’t afford 20 bucks a pop?”
“It really warms my heart when I see families there with three, four kids sitting there through the whole thing. Yes, this is something that you can do, and it’s open to everyone,” Cory added.
The Central Avenue CRC performance of Handel’s “Messiah” will be livestreamed on the church’s YouTube channel at you tube.com/CentralAvenueChris tian ReformedChurch. For more information about the Zeeland Civic Chorus, visit zeelandcivicchorus.com.
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