Creating community through choir

The San Marcos Performing Arts Association (SMPAA) and the The San Marcos Artists’ Retention and Training Orchestra – or SMART Orchestra – are coming together to perform George Frideric Handel’s musical rite of the holiday season, “Messiah,” this December.

According to SMPAA President Rick Bowen, many local singers and choral music lovers find themselves going to neighboring cities for their community choral experiences. But the SMPAA is hoping to develop a unique program in San Marcos that will attract singers of all ages and backgrounds to perform here in community choir.

Choir Master Jenny Henderson conducts the choir from the front of the pews.

“I have sung in choirs all my life, but there’s some choral pieces out there, that our church choirs are not big enough to perform and ‘Messiah’ is one of them,” Bowen said.

The idea for the community choir was to create a large enough body to perform full-scale pieces, that people within the community generally don’t have access to in town. Bowen said the impetus for him, was preservation of tradition.

“A lot of churches don’t have choirs anymore and I feel like there’s a need in our society for a community choir. For me it’s keeping traditions alive, and Handel’s ‘Messiah,’ is something that not everyone knows about, so it’s important to do it for our children and their children,” Bowen said. “This is what I hope can become a community chorus that can do other things like an Easter Requiem or other types of choral pieces that might or might not have orchestral accompaniment and keep this community chorus idea going and not let it become just a one-time deal.”

“Messiah” is an English-language oratorio composed in 1741 by Handel, with a scriptural text compiled by Charles Jennens from the King James Bible. It was first performed in Dublin in 1742 and initially received a modest public reception. The oratorio went on to gain popularity, eventually becoming one of the best-known and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.

The text begins in Part I with prophecies by Isaiah and others, and moves to the annunciation to the shepherds. In Part II, Handel concentrates on the Passion and ends with the "Hallelujah" chorus. In Part III he covers the resurrection of the dead and Christ's glorification in heaven.

Reading their choral books, members of the bass section sing their part of the piece alone before the choir puts all four groups together for a full run through. 

According to Choir Director Jenny Henderson, the entire piece works out to be an Easter story, but the first part has largely been relegated to Christmas and the Holidays.

“It’s an iconic choral piece, especially around the holidays, but if you do the whole thing it’s an Easter piece, but the first portion really centers around the coming of the Messiah, and so at Christmas time it’s really appropriate to do the first portion because it’s about the birth of Christ and why he is coming.”

Henderson said that the choir has attracted choir members from churches all over the community as well as folks that don’t attend church at all, but just want to sing the iconic piece of music, something that’s been a joy for her to watch as a choir director.

“When you sing in a choir, you really form a bond with each other and watching that bond grow over the last few weeks has just been an amazing thing for me as a choir director,” Henderson said. “I work every Sunday with people that have known each other for years and that bond is very strong, but watching the music bring these people together, who don’t necessarily worship together on Sunday morning, has been really a joy.”

Soprano Charlyne Bryant sings her part of the score as she watches Henderson’s conducting during the soprano's solo.

The community choir is still in need of singers and soloist for the “Messiah” performance – particularly a soprano and a bass soloist. Those interested in joining the community choir need only show up to practice, that is held every Sunday at 2:30 p.m. at the First Lutheran Church, 130 W. Holland St.

The SMPAA and the SMART Orchestra performance of Handel's Messiah and the Hallelujah Chorus will be on Dec. 9 from 3 to 6 p.m. at the First Baptist Church on McCarty Lane. It will be a free concert, but donations will be accepted for the SMART Orchestra.