Music has always been an integral part of the human tradition, perhaps because of how deeply it can speak to the soul. Although shifts in culture have changed what type of music is considered most popular — especially now that new sounds are attributed to every passing decade — classical music has stood the test of time. People know the names of Mozart, Bach and Beethoven, and even people who do not listen to classical music on their own can recognize pieces such as “Flight of the Bumblebee” or the “Hallelujah” chorus.
That particular chorus comes from George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah,” a baroque oratorio that tells of Christ’s coming to the world. The lyrics in this famous piece are not an invention of Handel’s, however: they were drawn from throughout the Scriptures.
Although the material is from the Bible, the message of Christ embedded in the oratorio is hidden from many listeners — so Calvary Chapel Chester Springs in Chester County has prepared an innovative event on Sunday, December 18, to draw out the meaning within Handel’s “Messiah.”
To provide a truly exceptional performance for the audience, the church has assembled an orchestra of world-class musicians from all across the nation as well as students from The Juilliard School, the Curtis Institute of Music, and other prestigious music schools. Among the impressive artists coming to perform are David Chan, concertmaster of the Metropolitan Opera Orchestra; Richard Amoroso, a first violin of The Philadelphia Orchestra; Anne Martindale Williams, principal cello of the Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra; Scott Pingel, principal bass of the San Francisco Symphony; Rebecca Swan, a violist who performs with noteworthy orchestras and groups such as Lyric Opera of Chicago; and Peter Slowik of Oberlin College and Conservatory, who will conduct “Messiah.”
This gathering of musicians promises to give a beautiful rendition of the abbreviated oratorio, performing for 1 hour and 20 minutes on the Sunday before Christmas. In addition to the musical performance, there will be 20 minutes of brief interludes in which the church’s pastor, Chris Swansen, will highlight the biblical principles within “Messiah” and relay the gospel message that is bound up in the music.
The 750 seats available sold out in a matter of days — 500 tickets were purchased on the very first day. However, the performance will be livestreamed from 6 p.m. to 8 p.m. on the church’s YouTube channel, youtube.com/@CCCSVideoMinistry, and on the church’s website, cc-chestersprings.com, where the program and the libretto will be provided to help viewers follow along.
Putting together this unique presentation of “Messiah” was not easy, but Wendy O’Brien, who volunteers as the events planner at Calvary Chapel Chester Springs, told The Lancaster Patriot that the details came together in a divine way.
“Every single time I came across a little hiccup, where I thought, ‘Ugh, how is this going to work out?’, God would put someone in my path and we’d be having a conversation — not necessarily about that — but whatever it was they said sparked the answer,” she explained. “Every single time, it was within 24 hours, and the answer was there.” Some of these difficulties involved finding performers or handling logistics, but others were more unconventional, like trying to track down a harpsichord.
Despite it being the busiest season for musicians, the church was able to get enough people to fill the orchestra and the choir — with the choir of 30 assembled one singer at a time. The revenue from the ticket sales is going toward defraying some of the travel expenses for those involved, since many of the performers are making significant trips, like Chan having to travel back and forth from New York City because of commitments, Pingel having to fly in from California, and Slowik needing to finish a performance in northern Ohio on Friday night and then make the eight-hour drive to Exton to show up in time for the final rehearsals on Saturday. Although the entire ensemble will only have a couple of days all together to practice, some have chosen to practice in smaller groups when they can.
“These people are just doing everything they can to make this happen,” O’Brien said. “It’s intensive, but it’s joy.”
After the 6-8 p.m. livestream on December 18, the video will be left on YouTube for ongoing viewing and sharing, so even those who cannot watch the event as it takes place can enjoy the special performance this year and in years to come.
