The 80 singers of the North Country Chorus, led by Alan Rowe, will perform Messiah with a chamber ensemble. Featured soloists are sopranos Lisa Baclawski, Suzan Derby, and Kristen Morgan-Davie; altos Kim Beckley and Bridget Peters; tenors Michael Eareckson and Andrew Hudson-Sabens; and bass Lucas Weiss.

Messiah, written in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, is one of the most famous and often-performed choral works in Western music. It was first performed in Dublin in April 1742 and later in London the following year. The North Country Chorus has sung Messiah many times during its 78-year history, most recently six years ago. At the Sunday matinee in Peacham, audience members who bring their own Messiah scores are invited to sing along during the major choruses.

The words for this English-language oratorio were put together by Charles Jennens using passages from the King James Bible and the Coverdale Psalter. The text reflects on Jesus as the Messiah, or Christ. The first section, about Christmas, begins with Old Testament prophecies from Isaiah and others, then moves to the announcement of Jesus’s birth to the shepherds—the only scene taken from the Gospels. The second part focuses on Christ’s suffering and ends with the famous “Hallelujah” chorus. The final section covers New Testament teachings about the resurrection and Christ’s glory in heaven.

Admission to the concerts are by donation.

The North Country Chorus is a community choir made up of singers with many different levels of experience. What they share is a love of performing music by great composers from past centuries to today.