Welcome Page

Welcome to the Website for the Concord Community Chorus Messiah Performance

Rehearsals begin on Sunday September 28 2:00 pm at Wesley United Methodist Church in Concord NH.

Attendance Expectations

We have 8 rehearsals not including the dress rehearsal.  If you need to miss due to family conflicts, travel or something else I would ask that you at least attend 4 rehearsals plus the dress.  If you have never sung the piece you might feel overwhelmed with only 4 rehearsals but if you have sung it I am ok with that. Please contact me if you have any questions at bengreene820@gmail.com

Performance is Sunday November 30, 2025 at 6:00 pm St. Paul’s Episcopal Church Concord NH. This admission free performance is sponsored and present by the Walker Lecture Series in Concord NH. In addition we will present an open dress rehearsal on Saturday November 29th 10:00-1:00 pm at St. Paul’s church and this is open tot he public.

To participate and sing with the chorus please click the registration link at the top of the page. Rehearsal information and schedule is available on the rehearsal link.

We use the Watkins-Shaw Novello Edition for the chorus and it can be purchased from Amazon at https://www.amazon.com/dp/0853602115?psc=1&ref=ppx_pop_dt_b_product_details

All members are required to have a black folder for their music book. Some members chose to cover the black in black paper which is fine. The link below is a folder that works well and is easy to hold.

https://www.mymusicfolders.com/product/deluxe-choir-folder/

History of the Messiah Performances in Concord NH

The performances of George Frederick Handel’s Messiah in Concord, New Hampshire
have been diverse and richly rewarding to its community members for many years. This is the 92nd public performance of this great Oratorio under the auspices of the Walker
Lecture Fund. The first available printed program is that of 1913, when the
performance was a part of a musical festival under the auspices of the Concord
Oratorio Society, formed in 1899. The concerts were held in Phoenix Hall on Main
Street under the direction of the late Charles S. Conant. The following are excerpts
from this program:
“The Messiah has not been often heard in Concord. Selections were given at the
Festivals in 1867 and 1871, and the chorus conventions of those days often sang the
‘Hallelujah Chorus.’ So far as can be ascertained, the first local performance of
anything like the full Oratorio was on April 10, 1885, at the Festival of that year held
in Phoenix Hall…”
“The Oratorio was last heard here at the 1901 Festival in the same hall on May 3… [The
tenor soloist for this performance was Mr. Herbert Smock] “Mr. Smock’s voice forsook
him before the evening was far advanced, and Mr. Conant had to replace him…”
Even at this time, Messiah was not an annual production and when it was performed, wasdone in an extremely short excerpt form.

In 1929 and 1930, Messiah was performed at the Capitol Theatre under the direction of
the late Herbert W. Rainie, sponsored by local organizations and individuals. Mr. Rainie
conducted the local singers and instrumentalists, using some of his own arrangements
for the instrumental accompaniments. It was in 1931 that the presentation of Messiah
began under the auspices of the Walker Lecture Fund, and with the exception of 1957,
1958, 2020 and 2021, it has since been a traditional part of the Christmas observance in
Concord.
Messiah was performed at the City Auditorium until 1968, when it was taken to the
South Congregational Church. During the renovation of the organ at South
Congregational Church, the performance was moved back to the City Auditorium from
1984-1985. In 1999, Messiah was first performed at St. Paul’s Episcopal Church two
weeks later than usual due to a fire at South Congregational Church during the
chorus’ warm-up on the original date.
The return to using an orchestra instead of piano/organ accompaniment began in 2008
and has been well received by chorus members and the audiences.
The practice of printing the names of the chorus on the programs was initiated in 1932.
Research of available records indicate that several members of our present chorus
have sung Messiah for more than thirty years. Many others have been singing for more
than fifteen years, while there are a few performing the work with us for the first time.