Symphony, choral society ring in season with ‘Messiah’

Some people believe that the day after Thanksgiving is the start of the holiday season.

But for more than 100 years, Toledo’s Christmas season isn’t official until after performances of Georg Friedrich Handel’s mighty Messiah, an oratorio most famous for its jubilant yet stately “Hallelujah Chorus.”

The Toledo Choral Society began its existence with the Messiah in 1919, and the Toledo Symphony had partnered with the choral organization for 40 years of that century. But now the two groups have their own performances; both organizations branched out and held separate Messiahs in 2021.

Both organizations had successful shows, proving that Toledoans never tire of the grand oratorio that premiered nearly 300 years ago in Dublin in 1742.

And they will try it again this weekend.

Alain Trudel, music director for the symphony, and Rick Napierala, artistic director for the choral society, both say the work is important not only for the music, but also for the story, which covers the entire life of Jesus Christ, from the annunciation to his resurrection.

And, Trudel said, that story isn’t just important to Christians

“It’s such an important story, I mean, whatever you believe, it’s very important,” Trudel said. “Everybody comes to the Messiah for a different reason. Some people do it because it’s something they truly believe. Other people come because the music makes them feel so good; it’s a moment when you can be in communion with the music.”

To tell this story, the symphony has hired 24 professional singers and will welcome the same soloists who performed last year: Jennifer Cresswell, soprano; Tyrese Byrd, tenor, and Thomas Dreeze, baritone. Trudel will conduct.

The symphony will use a smaller orchestra and chorus because in this case, smaller means mightier. A smaller orchestra and chorus makes for more flexibility, and for more drama, Trudel said.

“Not too big of an orchestra, not too big of a choir, because you can mix the colors together and then you can have the drama,” Trudel said. “The chorus is very clear, and the fact that there’s not so many people, you hear all the parts, counterpoint, everything that he [Handel] wrote, you hear very clear.”

The orchestra will perform two and a half hours of the Messiah, the shortened version it performed last year, again out of caution as the coronavirus has not gone away.

“I plan to augment the full Messiah when I feel it is the safer thing to do for our audience because I don’t want someone to come to my shows and get sick,” Trudel said, adding that not all of the pews in Rosary Cathedral will be used for safety’s sake.

“The Messiah last year was outstanding, and everyone was safe and sound,” he said.

And if one is looking for sound, you can’t get much more sound than the 100 or so voices the Toledo Choral Society will lift up in the “Hallelujah Chorus,” let alone the other sections including “Unto Us a Child Is Born,” “I Know that My Redeemer Liveth,” and “Behold the Lamb of God.”

The soloists for this year’s two performances are Kirsten C. Kunkle, soprano; Elizabeth Mitchell, mezzo soprano; Greg Ashe, tenor, and Kevin Foos, bass.

“I’m really excited,” Napierala said. “We’re taking the oldest continuous running musical organization, and we’re putting it in the historic Valentine.”

Last year the society performed it at St. Paul’s Lutheran Church and St. Joan of Arc Catholic Church.

The other change for the choral society this year is the Messiah itself: The society will be performing the version Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart rescored in 1789. It was published in 1803. Der Messias, written in German, was adapted orchestrally to suit the tastes of the Viennese.

For Napierala and the Toledo Choral Society, this version is a change, but in a way, it harkens back to the past.

“We try to keep things fresh, that’s why we’re changing up the orchestration this year try to keep things different,” Napierala said. But, “This was the orchestration that [beloved director] Sam [Szor] had done years ago,” he said. “For some people they’re able to dust off their scores they had when Sam was around.”

But Napierala is firmly looking toward the future as he plans the rest of the choral society’s future. The organization will perform a Christmas concert — without Handel — titled Born at three locations Dec. 16-18: St. Luke’s in Temperance, St. Joan of Arc in Toledo, and Gesu in Toledo.

Then next year will be Song of the Shadows on Palm Sunday, and in June, Considering Matthew Shepard.

The Toledo Choral Society will perform the Messiah on Saturday at 7 p.m. and Sunday at 2 p.m. at the Valentine Theatre, 410 Adams St., Toledo. Tickets are $35. Buy a ticket from a choral society member or call the Valentine box office at 419-242-2787.

The Toledo Symphony’s performance is Sunday at 4 p.m. in Our Lady, Queen of the Holy Rosary Cathedral, 2535 Collingwood Blvd., Toledo. Tickets are $42. Visit toledosymphony.com, visit the box office at 1838 Parkwood Ave., Toledo, or call 419-246-8000.

Coming up:

■ Hope Lutheran Church, 2201 Secor Rd., Toledo, Saturday, 8 p.m., Sunday, 3 p.m.: Masterworks Chorale presents Mother and Child. Tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students. Visit masterworkstoledo.com, call 419-742-2775, or email masterworkstoledo@gmail.com.

■ Epworth United Methodist Church, 4855 Central Ave., Toledo: Monday, 1 p.m.: Monday Musicale featuring Teresa Linares and Diane Shull, piano duets; Amy Heritage, flute, and Claire Cho and Barbara Harris, piano. Free.

■ University of Toledo Doermann Theatre, 2801 W. Bancroft St., Toledo, Sunday, 3 p.m.: Holiday Collage Concert. Multiple UT ensembles will perform a free concert. For parking information, go to parkutoledo.com.

■ Pemberville Opera House, 115 Main St., Pemberville, Saturday, 7:30 p.m.: Djangophonique quartet is led by guitar player Andrew Brown. Tickets, $12, and are available at the door or in advance at Beeker’s General Store or by calling 419-287-4848.

■ Toledo Museum of Art Peristyle, 2445 Monroe St., Toledo, Saturday, 7 p.m.: Christmas with the Toledo Symphony featuring vocalist Aubrey Logan. Tickets are $14.50 to $75. Visit toledosymphony.com or visit the box office at 1838 Parkwood Ave., Toledo, or call 419-246-8000.

St. Patrick Catholic Church, 610 S. Portland St., Bryan, Ohio, Thursday, 7 p.m.: Toledo Symphony performs a holiday concert. Call 419-243-6452 or visit stpatbryan.org.

Grace Lutheran Church, 705 W. State St., Fremont, Friday, 7:30 p.m.: Toledo Symphony performs a holiday concert. Call 419-332-1558 or visit gracefremont.org.

■ River Raisin Centre for the Arts, 114 S. Monroe St., Monroe, Friday, 7 p.m., Saturday, 2 and 7 p.m., Sunday, 2 p.m.: The Nutcracker, choreographed and directed by Gail Choate Pettit and Melissa Moore. Tickets are $15 to $27. Visit riverraisincentre.org or call 734-242-7722.

■ Christmas at Franklin Park Mall, 5001 Monroe St., Toledo, Saturday, 11 a.m. to 4 p.m., Sunday, 1 to 4 p.m. The Toledo Piano Teachers Association presents students Donna Skiver, Darlene Stammer, Janet Rutter, Heidi Clausius, Vivienne Sommerfield, and Linda Smith.

Send news of music to Heather Denniss at hdenniss@theblade.com at least one week ahead of your event.