The Diocesan Festival Choir, led by director and conductor Shawn Mack, will hold a “Messiah” Christmas Concert Dec. 4 at 3 p.m. in St. Joseph Church, 685 Hooper Ave., Toms River.
The one-hour performance is the first the choir will perform live since the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic, and will include excerpts from George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah.”
Originally composed as an Easter oratorio, “Messiah” debuted in April 1742. The piece highlights Jesus’s Nativity, Passion, Resurrection and Ascension, setting the words of the prophets and Scripture to music; the “Hallelujah Chorus” is often performed during the Christmas season.
The Diocesan Festival Choir provides liturgical music for major celebrations of the Diocese throughout the year, and comprises voices of volunteers age 18 and older from by audition.
Tickets for the event will be available at the door or on the diocesan website at DioceseofTrenton.org/events. Cost is $20 for adult admission, and $15 for seniors and children; children under eight years old may attend free. To register, click here.