Category Archives: Handel’s Messiah

Join us Sunday for “A Choral Cornucopia”, then on Monday for “Messiah” rehearsals!

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RiverChor, the Gateway Area’s community choir, presents their fall concert at 2:00pm on Sunday, November 13, at Zion Lutheran Church in Clinton, IA. The concert is free, donations are appreciated.

Entitled “A Choral Cornucopia”, the concert explores a wide range of choral standards from William Billings (the first American choral composer), to Mozart, Distler, Dello Joio, and Copeland. The choir will also present some fun pieces by Irving Fine, Merle Travis, and Fats Waller.

The 40 member choir is directed by Karl Wolf, the pianist is Christine Holmer. RiverChor will also be joined by the talents of violinists Julie Marston and Kristen Jones. Maureen Pollpeter will partner with Holmer on two 4-in-Hand piano pieces.

On Monday, November 14, RiverChor invites community singers to join them in rehearsals for the 91st annual “Messiah” performance. Practice will be at 7pm each Monday in the Great Hall of 1st Presbyterian Church in Clinton. The free concert will take place at 2:00 pm on Sunday, December 18 at Zion Lutheran Church in Clinton.

RiverChor Announces Dates for 18th Season

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Mark these dates on your calendar!

Fall Concert
Sunday, November 13, 2:00pm
Zion Lutheran Church

Messiah
Sunday, December 18, 2:00pm
Zion Lutheran Church

Spring Concert
Sunday, April 30, 2:00pm
Zion Lutheran Church

The choir will begin rehearsals on Monday, September 12, 7-9pm. If you are interested in joining the choir, please use the Contact Form , and we’ll provide you with more information.

Messiah is open to anyone who would like to sing, this will be Year 2 of our 3 year cycle. We will perform the majority of Part 1 and selections from Parts 2 and 3 with piano. Rehearsals will begin in mid to late November; we will announce here, in the Clinton Herald, and to our Email List, you may subscribe in the sidebar —->

We look forward to singing with or for you this upcoming 2022-2023 season!

Join us for the annual Messiah Sing Along

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Please join us for Clinton’s annual Messiah Sing Along! We welcome singers and audience for this informal event. We’ll have scores for you, or bring your own. Park and enter in the rear of St. Paul’s (the church at the foot of the south bridge, and behind Sterling Federal Bank). St. Paul’s recommends masks (but not required), and they have pews marked off for social distancing. Karl Wolf will be our host and director, and Christine Holmer will provide her talents on piano. Join us for a lovely afternoon to kick off the Christmas season!

DIY Messiah

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While circumstances are preventing us from having a live performance of Messiah this year (which would have been the 89th year in our local tradition), we’d like to invite you to sing along to our performance in 2015.

If you do not have your own score, you may download the G. Schirmer version by clicking below:
G. Schirmer Messiah Score PDF Download

We’d love to hear your stories about Messiah past….join the conversation on Facebook. We wish you a Merry Christmas, and hope that 2021 will bring opportunities to sing once again!

Join us for the Messiah Sing Along!

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You are invited to join a long standing Clinton tradition, the 88th annual singing of the Messiah.  This year is the Sing-Along, which is an informal event.  If you’ve ever wanted to try to sing Handel’s work, or enjoy a unique opportunity to sit inside a choir, please join us on Sunday, December 1, at 3:00 pm at Zion Lutheran Church in Clinton, please enter via the East door to the sanctuary. 

You are welcome to bring your own copy of the score, or borrow one of ours.  We will sing all the choruses from Part 1, take a few requests for choruses from Parts II and III, then finish with Hallelujah.  The event is directed by Chris Marple, our pianist is Christine Holmer. 

The Messiah Sing-Along is free.  Come as you are, bring a friend or two, and plan to have a joyous time singing!

Messiah to be Performed with Orchestra in 2018

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Since 1931, Handel’s Messiah has been performed annually in Clinton, and is an excellent way to kick off the Christmas season.  RiverChor, Gateway area singers, area orchestral instrumentalists, and pianist Christine Holmer will perform much of the work under the direction of Dr. Rob Engelson, in his 21st and final performance with the group.  Join us on this musical journey through Scripture on Sunday, December 2, 2018 at 2:00 pm in Zion Lutheran Church in Clinton, Iowa.  A free-will offering will be taken to defray costs.

Handel’s “Messiah” presented on December 17

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Please join RiverChor and gateway area singers in the annual Clinton tradition of Handel’s Messiah!  The free concert will begin at 2pm on Sunday, December 17th at Zion Lutheran Church in Clinton, Iowa.  All of Part I and selections from Part II will be presented with piano accompaniment by Christine Holmer.  The group is under the direction of Dr. Rob Engelson.

Messiah Rehearsals Begin

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Messiah rehearsals begin on Monday, November 13, at 7:00 p.m. in the Great Hall of First Presbyterian Church, 400 Fifth Ave. S.  All singers from the area are welcome!  The performance will be Sunday, December 17, 2:00 p.m. in Zion Lutheran Church, 439 Third Ave. S. in Clinton.

Unsure about practicing?  A great resource is CyberBass, it will play your part for you, and you can even slow it down!  Messiah on Cyberbass