Tue 12/6-Thu 12/8 @ 7PM
Sat 12/10 @ 8PM
Sun 12/11 @ 4PM
For its last concerts of 2022, Apollo’s Fire rolls out the most beloved of classic music Christmas staples: George Frideric Handel’s 1741 oratorio Messiah. Only a small part of it is about Jesus’ birth — much of it focuses on the Easter story of Christ’s passion, death and ascension. The beloved Hallelujah chorus in particular has nothing to do with Christmas but sometime in the early 20th century, performances began to happen at Christmas instead of Easter. And why argue with success? It’s rousing and beautiful music whenever you hear it.
Of course, vocalists are a critical part of an oratorio, and Apollo’s Fire has engaged a full cast to join the orchestra and chorus, including sopranos Sonya Headlam and Erica Schuller, mezzo-sopranos Amanda Crider and Kim Leeds, tenor Steven Caldicott Wilson, and baritone Edward Vogel. AF’s artistic director Jeannette Sorrell conducts.
There’ll be five performances in northeast Ohio. They’ll open the series on Tuesday December 6 at Federated Church in Chagrin Falls. That’s followed by concerts on Wednesday December 7 at Lakewood United Methodist Church; on Thursday December 8 at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Akron; and on Saturday December 10 and Sunday December 11 at First Baptist Church in Shaker Heights.
Go here for more information and tickets.