Under the architectural grandeur of St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Liberty, a gathering of talented vocalists and musicians from Liberty and Dayton, aptly named the Canterbury Chorale – assembled Sunday evening, Dec. 3, for the 20th anniversary performance of Handel’s The Messiah.
With its 30-rank, 1,267-pipe organ and exceptional acoustics, St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church is the perfect location for The Messiah, even though the performance packed the small sanctuary, said Jimmy Sterling, who has organized and conducted the sacred oratorios for most of the last 20 years. With his hearing fading with age, this year Sterling turned over conducting the choir to Christie Bean, director of the Liberty High School Choir.
The Messiah, written in 1741 by George Frideric Handel, is the most significant piece of choral work ever written, asserted Sterling. The lyrics of the oratorio were compiled entirely from passages in King James versions of the Bible, adding to its theological and musical importance.
The story of The Messiah begins with the prophecies that foretold the birth of Jesus Christ and continues with Christ’s life, death and resurrection.
While most of the singers who performed in this year’s Canterbury Chorale are seasoned performers who have worked with Sterling in the past, this year there was a twist with the introduction of Liberty High School Choir members. Prior to Sunday’s performance, the chorale had only practiced together four times and only once with organist Lonnie Tanner.
Sterling, who also is the founder and president of the Fine Arts Society of Liberty Texas (FASOLT), believes it is important that these cultural performances continue within the community in order to expose younger generations to the arts.
“If we don’t do it, it’s not going to happen,” Sterling said.
With The Messiah performance now behind him, Sterling is looking forward to a special St. Patrick’s Day mass, also to be held at St. Stephen’s Episcopal Church in Liberty. He promises to share more information on that event as the day draws closer.