Holiday classic Messiah performed in Bigfork Dec. 11

In two weeks you’ll have the chance to hear a gift that has been passed down for over 250 years.

That gift is Messiah, a music oratorio written by George Frideric Handel in 1742. Glacier Symphony and Chorale will perform Messiah at Pope St. John Paul Catholic Church Dec. 11 at 7:30 p.m.

The music of Messiah is taken entirely from scripture and the Book of Common Prayer. Handel wrote the piece in less than a month. It’s a musical treat that is perfect for the Christmas season, as Messiah describes Christ’s life as messiah. The oratorio was first performed in Dublin in April 1742 and since then it has become one of the most performed choral works in the world.

Messiah tells a story, but it is not an opera. Charles Jennens wrote the lyrics, and his text begins with prophecies and Christ’s annunciation to the shepherds. The second and third parts concentrate on the passion and resurrection of Christ.

The performance of Messiah has trended toward large choruses and orchestras, but the Glacier Symphony and Chorale uses a sized-down version of a full orchestra, in keeping with the way Handel wrote the piece. The smaller orchestra is backed by the full 80-voice chorus of the Chorale, plus soloists.

One of those chorus voices will be that of Larry Whitney, a Bigfork man who has sung with the Glacier Symphony and Chorale since 2001. This will be Whitney’s final performance of Messiah, as he is retiring at the end of this season.

Whitney first sang Messiah in 1959 when he was teaching in Washington. Whitney, a Bigfork native, put away the text until 2001 when fellow Bigfork vocalist John Pearson convinced him to audition for the chorale. Since then, Whitney has enjoyed making music with the Chorale, singing selections from classical to contemporary.

Whitney, 79, has sung in choirs throughout college, and he still sings with the Bigfork Methodist Church choir. “I just like to sing,” he said. But when he joined the chorale in 2001 he had to step up his game. “I thought I could always handle my own,” he said, “but when I joined chorale I thought these people can really sing.”

Performing Messiah is special to Whitney. “I have a strong faith, and it does mean a lot to me,” he said.

After he steps off the platforms after this weekend, it will be his last performance of Messiah with the Chorale. His legs, he said, can’t take the long periods of standing during performances. “The music has always kept me coming back, the working together and accomplishing something together,” he said. “I’ve enjoyed making harmony.”

Messiah will be performed Dec. 11-13 in Bigfork, Whitefish and Kalispell. The show times are 7:30 on Dec. 11-12, and the Dec. 13 show is a 3 p.m. matinees. For information visit gscmusic.org.