Under the direction of RCS Music Director, Dr. Graham Bier, Reading Choral Society (RCS) will present Handel’s Messiah. The accompaniment will be a nineteen-piece orchestra.
This will be at least the 65th time that the Reading Choral Society has undertaken the Christmas portion of Handel’s Messiah. By our records, Reading Choral Society first sang the Messiah choruses in December 1897. The audience will be invited to sing along on the Hallelujah chorus only.
Founded in 1875, the Reading Choral Society has a long and proud tradition of presenting vocal music, particularly symphonic choir masterworks, but also exploring and interpreting other genres. Under the energetic and nurturing leadership of Dr. Bier, our twelfth Music Director, the organization seeks to continue to pursue its mission to perform, foster, and advance choral music with a balance between honoring our heritage and looking to the future. Its educational programs now encompass regular performances with invited local high school and college choirs. While continuing the tradition of programming master choral works, the Society has expanded its repertory to include the more frequent performance and commissioning of new music and the exploration of more “popular” literature, like folksongs, spirituals, and musical theater.
The Reading Choral Society is comprised now, as it has always been, of dedicated semiprofessional singers from all walks of life with no minimum or maximum age. Determined to present the highest caliber musical performances possible, the Society rehearses weekly in a professional atmosphere, fulfilling the lives of its members by immersing them in great music, and through RCS performances enriching and enlivening the musical life of the greater Reading community.
Tickets: $15 in advance / $20 at door; Students $10. Tickets may be ordered online or call the RCS office 610.898.1939
