Music

ECCO takes on Handel’s Messiah

staging of holiday epic will mirror its 1742 original debut

Barbara Arnold |

Handel’s Messiah will be performed much like its premier in Dublin, Ireland, on April 13, 1742, with a small choir and chamber orchestra at the Eau Claire Chamber Orchestra’s “Glorious Vibrations” concert on Saturday, Nov. 1, at 7:30pm at Grace Lutheran Church, 202 W. Grand Ave., Eau Claire. Music Director Ivar Lunde Jr. will conduct new UW-Eau Claire faculty members Jessica Usherwood, soprano, and Bethany Stiles, mezzo-soprano, along with Mark Mowry, tenor, and Kenneth J. Pereira, baritone, and the ECCO Chamber Choir, a group made up of singers from the Eau Claire area (including the Masters Singers, church choirs, and others) in performing a large portion of the oratorio, ending with the beloved “Hallelujah Chorus.” Barbara Young, pianist, will talk about the piece at 6:45pm. Artwork by Bonnie Fetzek and Kris Crowe will be on display. Tickets: Adults, $23; senior citizens, $20; students, $8. Buy in advance at Mega East and West, Neff’s Piano Shop, Festival Foods, or call (715) 831-3331. For more info: www.eauclairechamberorchestra.org, info@eauclairechamberorchestra.org, or (715) 831-3331.