Messiah Chorus of Lake County readies 73rd Handel's 'Messiah' performance

Nov. 24—The 73rd presentation of Handel's "Messiah" by the Messiah Chorus of Lake County will be at 4 p.m. Dec. 3 at St. Gabriel Church, 9925 Johnnycake Ridge Road in Concord Township. It's free to attend, and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis.

A holiday-season conflict returned the presentation to the Concord church this year after it was presented for several years at St. John Vianney Church in Mentor.

This year's Messiah Chorus numbers 130 voices, with 20 of them being first-timers. The elaborate two-and-a-half-hour production tells the New Testament story in music of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ. Considered one of the most complex and difficult choral works to perform, it was first produced in 1742 after being composed by George Frideric Handel on a harpsichord in just 24 days.

"Music is a part of my life, and I've wanted to sing in the Messiah for a long time," said alto Nicole Sonday of Painesville, one of this year's first-time Messiah Chorus singers. "But I was very intimidated when I saw its 200 pages of music."

But this year "the stars were in alignment for me to make the commitment" said Sonday, 26. "I have a job with weekends off, and when the contemporary mass at church was switched to 11:30 (a.m.), I could sing there for an hour and make it to the 'Messiah' rehearsal by 1."

Moving from contemporary syncopated rhythms to such an involved classical composition is quite a challenge vocally, said Kevin Donahue, director of the Messiah Chorus.

The Messiah Chorus rehearses for two hours once a week beginning in mid-October at First Baptist Church of Painesville. Even for its longtime singers, that rehearsal commitment is required to sing in the Messiah.

Veteran chorus members such as Don Densmore, 91, who will sing the "Messiah" for the 65th time this year, may thoroughly know the piece, but rehearsals are necessary because each year's production is new and must be recreated.

Donahue, who has long directed the "Messiah," must strike a balance among sopranos, altos, tenors and bass with the voices of the professional soloists and instrumentalists. Although he also has a full-time day job, he also is the choral director for St. Gabriel Church, leading choirs that have their own separate musical commitments for the holidays.

"We're a very ecumenical group, and many of our 'Messiah' singers also sing in their own church choirs," he said.

This year's Messiah singers include Catholics from St Gabriel's choirs along with those of many other Christian faiths, including Mennonite.

The St. Gabe's choirs sang a Nov. 2 Remembrance Mass, a Nov. 9 Blue Mass for First Responders and joined with the Mentor High School choirs for the funeral for Jack Sawyer, a 17-year-old member of the parish recently lost to cancer.

Mentor High junior Jack Sawyer loses battle with cancer, community mourns

One of his greatest challenges as Messiah Chorus director is securing the professional soloists and instrumentalists, who this year include four violinists, two violists, two cellists and a string bassist. They're paid from the freewill offering made by "Messiah" attendees and the $5 fee collected from each singer at the first rehearsal.

"Since COVID, many of the music professionals have moved away," Donahue said. "But my friend Dariush Saghafi knows all the string players in the area and helps me put them together."

Saghafi, a neurologist, said he's played violin all his life.

"I love to play and have been playing under Kevin's direction for many years," he said.

Even though he lives in Pepper Pike and is not a member of the St. Gabriel parish, Saghafi said he considers it a great honor to be part of Handel's "Messiah."

"It's not only the greatest piece of string music ever composed," he said, "it's by the greatest composer who ever lived."

Saghafi at one time considered becoming a professional violinist but chose a career in medicine instead and has no regrets.

"With my profession, I don't have the luxury of time to practice, so playing in the 'Messiah' and with Rabbit Run Theater (in Madison Township) allows me to indulge myself with my serious hobby."

As a neurologist, he has advised those hoping to fend off cognitive decline to take up music, whatever their age.

"It's exercising a left-brain, right-brain thing," he said.

Sonday, one of the younger singers, said the chorus members have been very warm and welcoming to this year's first-timers.

"Our Handel's 'Messiah' brings hope and joy to the season," she said, "and reminds people that there is always goodness and light to be found no matter how grim things can be in the world."

Handel's 'Messiah'

The 73rd presentation of Handel's "Messiah" by the Messiah Chorus of Lake County will be at 4 p.m. Dec. 3 at St. Gabriel Church, 9925 Johnnycake Ridge Road in Concord Township. The two-and-a-half-hour production is free to attend and seating is on a first-come, first-served basis, so an earlier arrival is suggested. Learn more about the group at MessiahChorus.com.