MUSIC

This season, Mercury Baroque offers a refreshing approach to Handel’s Messiah with three special programs.

For the first time ever, Mercury Baroque hosts a Sing-Along performance of Handel’s holiday masterpiece on Friday, December 10th at 8:00pm. Families and children alike will enjoy learning about the instruments of the orchestra and Handel’s music itself during the Messiah for Families performance on Saturday, December 11th at 10:30am. Lastly, the orchestra performs the rarely heard original ‘Dublin’ version of the Messiah on Saturday, December 11th at 8:00pm.

A festive first for Mercury Baroque, the orchestra invites the audience to sing-along on Friday, December 10th. Don’t be shy, no singing experience is necessary to enjoy the powerful sensation of joining a mass choir of hundreds of voices filling the concert hall in majestic harmony. “The best way for us to connect with our audience,” says Antoine Plante, Mercury’s Artistic Director, “is for them to join us in the music-making.” A fun holiday outing for the whole family, the audience is invited to bring their own music or buy a score at the concert. The words to the music will also be projected above the orchestra.

Families and children alike will enjoy learning about Handel, his music and the instruments of the orchestra in this specially designed performance for families on Saturday, December 11th at 10:30am. Mercury Baroque’s founding soprano and Education Outreach Coordinator Dr. Ana Treviño-Godfrey has written the program to be both fun and educational. Although all ages are welcome, the concert is geared towards children ages 5 and up.

The Messiah has always been one of Mercury Baroque most popular programs. This year, the orchestra will perform the rarely heard ‘Dublin’ version of the Messiah –the original version of the piece first performed in 1741 in Dublin. Handel hastily wrote the Messiah in just three weeks, however he constantly modified it throughout his lifetime to suit different singers, venues and to please different audiences. Mercury Baroque’s performance of the ‘Dublin’ version of the Messiah on Saturday, December 11th at 8:00pm will give the audience a real connection to the style and spirit of Handel by using his original manuscript and performing it on period-accurate instruments.

Mercury Baroque returns to The Woodlands this season with a repeat performance of the ‘Dublin’ Messiah on Sunday, December 12th at 2:00pm in the beautiful Performing Arts Center at The John Cooper School. The fabulous acoustics of this theater offers the audience a unique chance to enjoy the piece in a more intimate setting.

Soloists:
Lauren Snouffer, soprano
Nathan Medley, alto
Lawrence Wiliford, tenor
Michael Sumuel, bass

Mercury Baroque Ensemble
Bach Choir of Houston
Antoine Plante, Artistic Director

Now in its 10th Season, Mercury Baroque has charmed audiences and critics the world over with its passionate and exciting performances of Baroque music on period accurate instruments. Originally founded as a chamber ensemble, Mercury has since grown into a full orchestra of young, dynamic musicians, performing a subscription series of concerts in downtown Houston, other Houston-area communities and touring both domestically and internationally. In addition to frequent performances, Mercury Baroque is also dedicated to educating future audiences and training the city’s future musicians. Mercury’s educational outreach programs have reached more than 15,000 children in the past 5 years alone.

Mercury Baroque’s Messiah Performances:

Sing-Along Messiah
Friday, December 10, 2010 at 8:00pm
Wortham Center, Cullen Theater
501 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002

The Messiah for Families!
Saturday, December 10, 2010 at 10:30am
Wortham Center, Cullen Theater
501 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002

Handel’s ‘Dublin’ Messiah
Saturday, December 11, 2010 at 8:00pm
Wortham Center, Cullen Theater
501 Texas Ave, Houston, TX 77002

Handel’s ‘Dublin’ Messiah
Sunday, December 12, 2010 at 2:00pm
The John Cooper School Performing Arts Center
1 John Cooper Dr, The Woodlands, TX 77381

For tickets and information: www.mercurybaroque.org, (713) 533-0080.