Written for Easter, it took time for Messiah to find its niche as a Christmas favorite. . . but the whole first part of Messiah is about the birth of Christ. The Bethesda Mennonite Church Choir presents Handel’s Messiah on December 21, 2014 at 7:30 p.m. The choir, directed by Rod Drews will be accompanied by the Nebraska Symphony Chamber Orchestra and Laura Steingard, harpsichord. Please join us a
s we celebrate the birth of Christ in song this Christmas. The Bethesda Mennonite Church Chancel Choir has a rich tradition of a high level of music performance for both worship service settings and special performances. All performances by the Chancel Choir are intended to be an outreach of Bethesda Mennonite Church. Besides Messiah, the choir has presented Vivaldi’s Gloria, Durante’s Magnificat, and David Willcock’s Christmas Carols with orchestra and soloists. The first presentation of Messiah at Bethesda was in 1969 under the direction of Don Peters with soloists and keyboard accompaniment. In 1981 the choir began a partnership with the Nebraska Symphony Chamber Orchestra from Lincoln, Nebraska to accompany the performance. This relationship continues to the present day. Every three years, Bethesda makes the commitment to offer this type of outreach to the public. The service is supported by free will offering.
