Almost eighty years ago my parents took me and my two brothers to William and Mary College Phi Beta Kappa Hall to attend a George Frederick Handel’s Messiah concert. This was the first time in my life that I attended a live performance of the Messiah. From the very first moment these young college students started singing, I was absolutely enthralled by what I was hearing. The glorious music and lyrics awoke something within me. Sitting there, I wondered if one day I could also sing something so magnificent. As Mozart said of Handel citing the Messiah, “Handel was the greatest composer who ever lived...I would uncover my head and kneel before his tomb. Handel knows better than any of us what will make an effect. When he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt."
In 1953, I enrolled as a freshman at Asbury College in Kentucky. I was gob smacked and thrilled to learn that the college choir sang Handle’s Messiah every year during the advent season. Soon thereafter, I joined the choir for all four years and found it to be one of the greatest blessings and most rewarding experiences of my life. It was exhilarating to sing with a 100-voice choir and together we created the sense of shared joy in the life of Jesus Christ, from his birth to his resurrection. For me, this is the great and complex story of the most significant book of all time, the most influential story of all time.
Upon retirement in Williamsburg at the age of 64, I joined the choir at Williamsburg United Methodist Church. Under the leadership of Carol Hunter, Richard Sowers, Lou-Anne Smith, and Tom Marshall, Handel’s Messiah was performed every Christmas season. For 25 years, I sang in the choir and what an absolute joy it was; the hope, the encouragement, and the inspiration that was shared with the church community was very meaningful to me. I found it rewarding to come back to this great work of art year after year because as we get older there was always a different angle or new level of insight that was revealed. As Handel said after completing the Hallelujah chorus, “I saw heaven before me and great God himself”. This evidence of Handel’s vision and inspiration provides a bright light to all in this world. I am truly thankful.
~ Carlton Casey, Charter Chorus Member, Donor
Playing Messiah at the Williamsburg United Methodist Church (WUMC) has been a highlight of the Christmas season for me for 25 years (minus one year when I was living in England with my family). The music and message, of course, are gorgeous and timeless. But what has also become precious to me is the chance to play it together every year with longtime friends. I will always remember my dear friend and cellist Ulysses Kirksey, who passed away in 2018 after playing Messiah with us so beautifully for so many years. We all know by now that music can bring comfort to a troubled world like nothing else. I’m so grateful to the WUMC for gathering us for Messiah every year, and to Lou-Anne Smith and Donna Herman and the staff and members of WUMC for all they do to make it happen.
~ Susannah Livingston, Handel Chamber Orchestra
To put it very simply, to me the Messiah is Christmas. The music alone is so beautiful. When you truly listen to the parts of scripture sung by the choir and the soloists, it tells a most wonderful story. I feel blessed to be able to help in any capacity that will allow others to hear and enjoy the beauty that G. F. Handel created so many years ago.
~ Barbara Neary, Volunteer