James Ogle, conductor, will return to New Bern for the thirty-sixth performance of George Frideric Handel’s Messiah, set for Monday, December 10 at Centenary United Methodist Church, on the corner of New and Middle Streets. An Open Rehearsal will be held at 3:00 p.m. and a performance at 7:30 p.m.
Tickets are available at Fuller Music, 2310 Trent Road, and the Craven Arts Council & Gallery, 317 Middle Street, New Bern. The Open Rehearsal tickets are $15, Performance $25. Tickets are also available from the Arts Council by credit card: 252 638-2577.
Soloists for the performance include William F. Ward, III, tenor; Mark Walters, bass; Jamie Rhodes, alto; Nicole Franklin, soprano and Pat K. Rowlett, soprano.
Begun in 1981, the performances have featured a 135-member chorus from the surrounding area, including Beaufort, Craven, Carteret, Jones, New Hanover, Pamlico and Wayne counties. Accompanying the singers will be an orchestra composed of members of the North Carolina Symphony, many of whom have returned to New Bern each year for this occasion. The production is sponsored by the Craven Messiah Chorus, an organization originally founded by Centenary United Methodist Church, Christ Episcopal Church, First Baptist Church, and First Presbyterian Church. Co-directors of the Craven Messiah Chorus are B.J. Oglesby and Pat K. Rowlett. For information, phone Pat Rowlett at 637-3270.
Submitted by: Pat Rowlett, Craven Messiah Chorus