It was a full house at St. Stephen’s Church in Boston’s North End on Wednesday night as local arts partners offered a ‘gift of music’ through a free concert of Handel’s “Messiah” (Part 1). The North End Music and Performing Arts Center (NEMPAC) and The Boston Landmarks Orchestra organized artists and musicians from across the city for the Christmas favorite concluding with the famous Hallelujah Chorus (shown in the above video).
“The North End Music and Performing Arts Center is one of our favorite community partners, and we were delighted to be able to collaborate again to offer this special holiday concert together. We’re excited that our Assistant Conductor Kristo Kondakci will be leading not only the musicians, but our very own One City Choir, comprised of choristers from almost every neighborhood in Boston! We’re also excited – and proud – that our Artistic Administrator, Arthur Rishi, will be singing the tenor arias in this performance! “ -Jo Frances Meyer, Boston Landmarks Orchestra Executive Director
The performance featured the NEMPAC Holiday Orchestra, the Boston Landmarks One City Choir, NEMPAC Soloists and the St. John School Youth Honor’s Choir. Messiah Soloists include Emily Tweedy, Sherri Snow, Rebecca Rapoport-Cole, Alexandra Dietrich, Arthur Rishi and Elijah Blaisdell.
This Holiday Concert was the perfect opportunity to collaborate once again and especially to draw from some of the local talent we have here in the North End! We are excited to offer this as a free concert, encouraging everyone to come and experience something truly beautiful this Holiday Season.” – Sherri Snow, NEMPAC Executive Director
Enjoy the Halleluhah Chorus video above and these photos below from the concert.
Fantastic concert! Perhaps Orff’s Carmina Burana next? Would love to see more performances like this.
On behalf of St. John School’s Honor Choir, we wanted to thank Sherri Snow and Alexandra Dietrich for having our children be part of such a beautiful event. In the words of our parents, “We wanted to thank you for allowing our children to participate in such an amazing event. It was a great opportunity for the children and a great gift to us as parents. Ms. Dietrich does such a phenomenal job with the St. John School Honors Choir. We very much appreciate all her hard work. Just amazing!”
Wonderful concert! Great addition to the North End holiday season. Joiining in the singing of the second round of the the Hallelujah Chorus with all the singers was an added treat!