07/09/2026
A HISTORY OF THE MORTON COMMUNITY CHORUS PRESENTATION OF HANDEL'S MESSIAH
Written by Florence Gerig -November 6, 1998
Morton Community Chorus has been presenting parts of Handel’s Messiah since the late 1940s. The first presentation was at the Jefferson Grade School. We sat on bleachers on the stage. There were about two dozen singers. Eldora Vobrecek was the pianist. Since then, the group of singers has grown to approximately 80-90 per performance.
Other locations in Morton included Morton Junior High and also High School gymnasiums. The Messiah was given at First Mennonite church from 1964 thru 1993. In 1994, it was given at Grace Mennonite church and has been there since. For the performances at the Morton schools, an organ was rented for the occasion.
There have been seven directors: Melvin Rein, DeLores Brown, Harold Brown, Donna J. Martin, Ray Kinder and Dianne Simmons has been directing since 1967. No one remembers the first director. When we sang at the Junior High, the director asked the audience at the close if they had some Christmas carols they wished to sing. Jingle Bells was the suggestion. It was so out of place with the Messiah that, as a result, there were a few years of no Messiah presentations.
Organists were Ron Siebenthal, Donna J. Martin, John S. Gerig, Larry Bowie, Rachel Mahue, William Stein, John L. Clark and Alisa Yeast. Pianists were Eldora Vobrecek, Bonnie Roecker, Don Nieukirk and Gayle Wallis. Beginning in the 1980s, stringed instruments began to accompany.
The youngest organist was John Gerig, who began accompanying when a sophomore in high school. He continued during his college years in Indiana for seven years till 1973. Larry Bowie from Peoria was the organist in 1974 through 1984 and continued his musical career in Baltimore, MD.
Many of the vocalists were from the Morton area. Jane Ann Askins was one of our most well-known, who is now in New York City. She has sung with the New York Philharmonic and the New York City Opera. She also teaches at the French Conservatory.
For many years, we wore robes borrowed from the various churches. It had become difficult to find similar ones so, for the past few years, it has been white blouses and black skirts for the women and white shirts and dark suits for the men.
We have given concerts at Metamora Mennonite, Grace Presbyterian, Northwoods Community, Trinity Lutheran, Redeemer Lutheran, St. Mary’s Cathedral in Peoria and in Pekin at First Methodist.
Morton Community Chorus
