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Hartford's
Messiah
offers
preview
of 2019
classical
Roots
honoree
By
Laydell
Wood
Harper
Tell Us
Detroit
DETROIT
- The
holiday
season
would be
incomplete
without
the
grand
old
holiday
tradition
of
“Handel’s
Messiah.”
This
delightful
musical
tradition
never
grows
old, it
just
gets
better.
Listeners
are
still in
awe 250
years
after
the
composer’s
death.
This
highly
celebrated
performance
at
Hartford
Memorial
Baptist
Church
(HMBC)
will
keep you
coming
back
year
after
year.
This
year,
not only
will the
audience
enjoy an
outstanding
performance
of
“Handel’s
Messiah,”
but
they’ll
also
have a
rare
opportunity
to get a
sneak
preview
of the
work of
one of
the 2019
honorees
of the
Detroit
Symphony
Orchestra’s
(DSO)
Classical
Roots,
one of
the
Detroit
Symphony
Orchestra’s
most
prominent
events
to
celebrate
classical
music.
Dr.
Robert
Harris,
renowned
choral
conductor,
clinician
and
composer
is a
2019
Classical
Roots
honoree.
Dr.
Harris
has been
guest
conductor
for the
HMBC
annual
Messiah
performance
for more
than 30
performances.
“Music
and
Scripture
are
majestically
married
in this
great
and
timeless
masterpiece
and we
are
blessed
to have
as one
of this
generation’s
greatest
interpreters,
Dr.
Robert
A.
Harris,”
comments
Dr.
Charles
G.
Adams,
pastor,
Hartford
Memorial
Baptist
Church.
The DSO
Classical
Roots
was
founded
in 1978
to
increase
awareness
of the
contributions
that
African
American
Composers,
musicians
and
advocates
have
made to
the
classical
music
genre.
If
you’ve
never
experienced
a
performance
of the
“Messiah”
don’t
miss
this
opportunity
on
December
16th at
4 pm.
Now
celebrating
sixty-seven
successful
years of
Handel’s
Messiah
at
Hartford
Memorial
Baptist
Church,
this is
a rare
opportunity
to hear
some of
the most
acclaimed
soloists
in a
local
performance
at no
charge
and open
to the
public.
Again
this
year
Hartford
would
like to
offer a
special
invitation
to
Detroit
Public
School
students
and
parents
to
attend
this
wonderful
annual
holiday
event.
Make it
a family
event
for the
community.
“It is
Hartford’s
gift to
Detroit
and it
offers
an
untold
opportunity
to reach
out to a
diverse
public
throughout
the
area,”
said Dr.
Charles
G.
Adams.
“We are
proud to
present
this
ageless
production
year
after
year.
Our
young
people
must
experience
all
kinds of
music.”
Dr.
Adams
continues,
“Dr.
Harris
is so
very
deserving
of the
honor to
be the
2019
Detroit
Symphony
Orchestra
Classical
Roots
honoree
which we
proudly
highlight
during
the
Messiah
intermission.”
The
reviews
from
both the
audience
and the
media
for this
annual
performance
continue
to be
nothing
short of
outstanding.
The
Hartford
presentation
of
Handel’s
Messiah
has
consistently
maintained
the
highest
performance
standards
with Dr.
Robert
A.
Harris,
emeritus
professor
of
conducting
at
Northwestern
University,
has
conducted
over 50
performances
of
Handel’s
Messiah
throughout
the
United
States
and
abroad.
The
Messiah
performers
this
year
include:
Alaina
Brown,
Soprano,
and
seasoned
Opera
Singer
for more
than 20
years,
Matthew
Hunter,
Countertenor,
Coral
Clinician,
Music
Consultant,
Choir
Director
and
Educator,
and
Prominent
local
singers,
James
Moore,
tenor,
and Dr.
Theodore
Jones,
bass,
are the
perennial
soloists
for
Messiah
at
Hartford
with
their
peerless
performances
over the
years.
Both
maintain
outstanding
careers,
performing
in
concert,
opera
and
oratorio
throughout
the
country
and
abroad.
For the
last
several
years
their
performances
in
Hartford’s
Messiah
have
moved
this
event to
new
heights
of
artistry
and
interpretation.
“Every
year I
look
forward
to
singing
tenor in
the
great
choruses
of
Messiah.
This
began in
high
school
with
Hartford
church
choirs
and
onward
to the
Mass
Choir
Masonic
Temple
performances
with
symphony
orchestra
and
renowned
soloists
under
Harold
Tallman,
Wayne
State
University
choral
director,”
Dr.
Adams,
who
sings
tenor in
the
choir
every
year,
comments.
This
year’s
performance
will
also
include:
the
Intergenerational
Mass
Choir
with the
Hartford
Cathedral
Choir,
Male
Chorus
and the
Jubilee
Chorus.
Year
after
year
Hartford
presents
Handel’s
masterpiece
with
first
class
soloists,
choirs,
Orchestra
and
guest
conductor,
Dr.
Harris.
To
celebrate
this
joyous
season
of
giving,
Hartford
Church
presents
Messiah
free of
charge
as a
gift to
the
entire
metro
Detroit
Community.
Hartford
Memorial
Baptist
Church
is
located
at 18700
James
Couzens
Hwy. at
W. 7
Mile Rd.
Complimentary
Free
Valet
Parking.
For more
information
call
Hartford
Church
(313)
861-1285
or
www.hmbcdetroit.org
The
Classical
Roots
Celebration
honoring
Dr.
Robert
Harris
will be
held
Saturday,
March
9th at
Orchestra
Hall.
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