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Singers of all skill levels will come together at 6 p.m. Dec. 9 at the First United Methodist Church in Cortez for the seventh annual Messiah Sing-in.<\/p>\n
Event organizer Patricia Faulkner said orchestra members and soloists have been practicing for months, but anyone from the community is invited to sing along with George Frideric Handel\u2019s 1741 masterpiece oratorio, called \u201cMessiah.\u201d The piece ends with the well-known \u201cHallelujah Chorus.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cThat\u2019s why this is fun \u2013 because you can have these huge chorus numbers and they just get to come and sing,\u201d Faulkner said.<\/p>\n
She said the orchestra and chorus has reached as many as 40 members in years past. This year, the oldest orchestra member is 94, and the youngest soloist is 11 years old, Faulkner said. She said the large age range shows that the Messiah Sing-in appeals to many groups of people.<\/p>\n
As the chorus typically includes novice and experienced singers, Faulkner said the newcomers can lean on the \u201cMessiah\u201d experts. She said her mantra is \u201cparticipation and not perfection.\u201d<\/p>\n
\u201cIt\u2019s hard to imagine that it can come out so well,\u201d Faulkner said. \u201cWhat happens is you have a lot of singers who come who have sung in a Messiah in year\u2019s past, so it\u2019s not like everybody is sight reading the music.\u201d<\/p>\n
The Messiah Sing-in is always looking for more tenor and bass singers, Faulkner said. Singers don\u2019t have to sign up in advance, but are encouraged to arrive at the First United Methodist Church, 515 N. Park St., at 5:30 p.m.<\/p>\n