Community Messiah Sing

West Plains Council on the Arts (WPCA) and Missouri State University-West Plains, University/Community Programs (U/CP) invite everyone to a Community Messiah Sing, directed by Larry Dame, and scheduled for Sunday, November 6, 2022, 2:30 PM, in the Civic Center Theater, 110 St. Louis St., West Plains, Missouri.

Open seating; no advance reservations required. Non-singers are welcome to listen and enjoy!

The Christmas portion of “Messiah,” using the G. Schirmer score, will be performed. The audience is invited to sing along in these favorite Messiah choruses: Glory of the Lord, And He Shall Purify, Thou that Tellest Good Tidings, For Unto Us a Child is Born, Glory to God in the Highest, and of course, the Hallelujah Chorus!

G. F. Handel was born in Halle, Germany, February 23, 1685; a vintage year for Baroque composers as this was the same year J. S. Bach was born. Handel became a prominent German British Baroque composer, famous for his operas, oratorios, anthems and organ concertos. Handel received musical training in Halle and Hamburg Germany and in Italy before settling in London in 1712. He became a naturalized British subject in 1727. The people of England were getting tired of music in foreign languages and wanted works they could understand.

In the summer of 1741, Handel received an invitation from the Lord Lieutenant in Dublin to compose a new sacred oratorio which would crown a series of performances. In July of 1741, Charles Jennens, a wealthy landowner with musical and literary interests sent Handel a new libretto for an oratorio and in a letter to a friend, dated July 10, 1741, Jennens wrote: “I hope Handel will lay out his whole Genius and Skill upon it, that the Composition may excell all his former Compositions, as the Subject excells every other subject; the subject is Messiah.” Handel began to compose the music on August 22, 1741 and September14, 1741 the entire oratorio was finished.

At the end of the oratorio he penned the letters “SDG”, Soli Deo Gloria, “To God alone the glory.” Chorus participation is encouraged and needed. Practice CD’s and scores are available. Call the U/CP office at 417-255-7966 if interested. For further information, email

This event is sponsored by Missouri State University-West Plains and West Plains Council on the Arts, with partial funding provided by Missouri Arts Council, a state agency.