November 30, 2024

For the fourth year in a row, the Music Ministry of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church will host a community-wide sing-along performance of the Christmas portion of Handel’s “Messiah,” the most celebrated classical music in the English language. The St. Paul Choir will be joined by four distinguished young soloists, and a chamber orchestra of leading professional musicians. There will be one performance only, Sunday, Dec. 8, 2024, 4 p.m., in the nave of the church at 416 SE Grand Avenue in downtown Lee’s Summit. Admission is free and the public is invited to enjoy the performance by listening or by singing along with the majestic choruses. A Wine & Cookie Reception will follow the concert, presented by the Friends of St. Paul’s Music.

The annual Messiah Sing-Along has become a signature holiday event in Lee’s Summit that has attracted hundreds of music lovers over the years from as far as Nevada, Missouri, Omaha, Nebraska, and Topeka, Kansas. The opportunity to sing the great choruses from an immortal music masterpiece with a professional orchestra is an exciting way to usher in the Christmas season.

Victoria Botero

The 2024 Messiah Sing-Along will also feature a special performance by Columbian-American opera star Victoria Botero. Before the sing-along of Messiah, Ms. Botero will sing Johann Sebastian Bach’s soprano solo Cantata No. 51, Jauchzet Gott in allen Landen, a short 15-minute work that is renown in classical music circles as one of the most thrilling works of vocal virtuosity. It is also a famously challenging work for the trumpet soloist.

Victoria Botero has been describes as “…one of Kansas City’s musical treasures.” She has performed solo works and opera roles in 18 languages during a distinguished career that has included an artist residency at the L’Istituto di Musica Antica in Milan, Italy, and famed roles with the Lyric Opera of Kansas City, Des Moines Metro Opera, Tulsa Opera, and Wichita Grand Opera. As a concert soloist she has performed with the Kansas City Symphony in the Postcards from the Americas event celebrating her multi-ethnic heritage, and with renown groups including the St. Joseph Symphony, the William Baker Festival Singers, and the Kansas City Baroque Consortium, in addition to lauded CD recordings. She is the creator of The Cecilia Series of critically acclaimed concerts. Additional soloists for the performance of Messiah include alto Erica Seago, tenor Sean Sweeden, and bass Michael Hon.

Dr. William O. Baker, music director for the St. Paul’s Episcopal Church in Lee’s Summit since 2020, will conduct the performance. Baker is a native of Atlanta with studies at Mercer University, the University of Georgia, and the American Conservatory of Music in Chicago. Baker is the founder and director of the semi-professional William Baker Festival Singers that has performed in fourteen states and Washington, DC, including the Washington National Cathedral, New York City’s Trinity Wall Street Church, and the Basilica of St. Josaphat in Milwaukee. Baker’s work has been commemorated by the governors of Kansas and Georgia. He was named a National Arts Associate by SEI in 2022, and was name second place national winner in 2023 of the Dale Warland Award in Choral Conducting.

The Music Ministry of St. Paul’s Episcopal Church includes The St. Paul Choir, the St. Paul Ringers, St. Paul A Cappella, and the St. Paul Men’s Choir. In addition to annual performances of Messiah, the choirs at St. Paul’s Church have presented dozens of events for the wider community,including an annual Holy Week Concert of music from the Renaissance each spring, a musical celebrating America near the Fourth of July, and numerous choral/orchestral masterworks. The program is widely regarded as one of the most active music ministry programs in the Kansas City region.

Attendees who wish to join in the sing-along of Messiah are invited their own score. Any edition will be fine. Those who wish to sing but do not own a score are welcome to borrow one with a $10 fully-refundable deposit.

The annual performance of Messiah is a popular event, so early arrival is recommended for best seats. For additional information call 816-524-3651.

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