It’s a Messiah year - want to sing?

Lisha Van Nieuwenhove

Even though we’re still in the final weeks of summer, the Uxbridge Messiah Singers are thinking about the holiday season and preparing for performances of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah – and they’re looking for singers!

This year’s performances will be held on Monday and Tuesday, December 16 and 17, at 8 p.m., in the Uxbridge Baptist Church Hall.

At the moment, the Uxbridge Messiah Singers can announce that Leslie Higgins will be the soprano soloist. Concert organizers say Higgins is “an experienced, talented Uxbridge native who has, since she was young, wanted to perform Handel’s Messiah in her hometown.”

Joining Higgins will be a familiar local voice - bass soloist Jonathan Liebich. Liebich has been a soloist for Messiah before. The alto and tenor soloists are currently being organized and will be announced once finalized.

Messiah will be conducted by Uxbridge conductor Thomas Baker.

The Uxbridge Messiah Singers are inviting previous Messiah Singers to be a part of the 90+ person chorus, and are also looking for new members. Registration is open now, and information can be found on the Uxbridge Messiah Singers Facebook page. They can also be contacted by email at UxbridgeMessiahSingers@gmail.com

Organizers say the Uxbridge Messiah Singers were originally inspired by the Toronto Mendelssohn Choir, and first performed Messiah in Uxbridge in 1980. Initially organized by the Uxbridge Ministerial Association, this first performance was a huge success in the community, setting a precedent for future biennial performances. For decades, Messiah was performed to capacity audiences at Trinity United Church, which was destroyed by the May 2022 tornado.