October 4th, 2021

Dear Chorus Members,

It’s with great anticipation and excitement that I welcome you BACK to “Sing a joyful noise unto the Lord.”

With the COVID hiatus behind us, we are able to plan a triumphant return to the stage. And by the stage I mean the STAGE, as we will be rehearsing and presenting our concerts in our new home, the Holdcraft Performing Arts Center.

Our current COVID protocol for the chorus states participants are required to be vaccinated or have a recent (within 5 days) negative test, otherwise, you are required to wear a mask at all times. Members may choose to wear a mask regardless of their status. This policy will be reviewed and modified as needed.

Your Board of Directors has been meeting monthly via ZOOM for over the last year. During this time we have continued to fundraise, write grants and strategize on how to bring about a safe and rewarding return of the chorus. I am very proud of our growth as an ensemble and the refinement we’re making on our “re-visioned” Messiah and our Baroque Concert. If you were part of the experience you know what I’m talking about. If you missed it, just ask someone who was there. They will fill you in on the joy we experienced preparing and performing. What a treasure we have in the music and the vocal community.

As you begin to think about donations and soliciting ads or sponsorships, please remember that checks should be made out to Michigan City Messiah, Inc. It is our official name and the name to whom you will make your checks out in the future. Donations can easily be made on our website as well, McMessiah.com  We will soon be getting a Michigan City Post Office box. We will pass that info along as it becomes available.

Please mark your calendar!  The new performance schedule will be:
Wednesday, December 15, 7:00PM       Orchestra/Chorus Rehearsal
Saturday, December 18       10:30AM       Closed Dress Rehearsal (10am Call time)
Saturday, December 18        7:00 PM       Concert
Sunday, December 19          3:00 PM       Concert

Chorus rehearsals begin on Thursday, November 4th so please reserve that date and the subsequent Thursdays (except Thanksgiving) for Messiah rehearsals.  Please note the Wednesday, Orchestra/Chorus rehearsal on December 15. Rehearsals run from 7:30-9:30pm and are located in the Band Room at the Holdcraft Performing Arts Center. Be sure to let Donna Mitchell (dmm8635@mac.com) know of your intent to sing with us so we can reserve a place for you. This is the same location we used for our June rehearsals and concert.

I hope you can join us for both concerts and this fantastic opportunity to share our amazing gift to a larger audience.  The need and desire of the community to have additional performance opportunities of Messiah is very clear to our board.  There is a renewed sense of purpose for all of us associated with the Messiah organization as we take on a larger role in the regional musical community and become the recipient of local, state and federal funding.

I continue to be significantly rewarded by working on this masterpiece and I want you to be a part of that experience.  As my relationship of the chorus grows, I’m motivated to find more opportunities for us to make music together. To that end, we have started presenting a spring oratorio concert. Many of you participated and know what an amazing experience it was to sing new repertoire.

I have assembled a superb quartet of soloists. The quartet that was with us in 2019 is returning. Chicago soprano Kim Jones who is a Michigan City favorite known for her long association with the Michigan City Chamber Music Festival and Messiah will delight our audiences along with baritone Bill McMurray, who made is his debut with us in 2019, and Messiah veterans, tenor Matt Daniel and mezzo-soprano Kristin Gornstein.

We are always looking for new singers too! Feel free to invite a friend to sing Messiah with us. Click this signup button if you are interested in joining us. If you would like to get a head start on the music you can go to our website and listen to the chorus selections from previous performances and refresh your memory.

Please consider joining us again this year as we continue on our journey exploring this great music. We have begun to create our own history and stories for year 56 and beyond. Won’t you be a part of the next generation who claims with unabashed joy and in one harmonious voice, “Glory to God in the Highest”?

Musically yours,

Philip J. Bauman
Music Director