色欲王朝

Larry Moss has been performing on stage since he was a child.听

On Sunday, the 67-year-old longtime Greenville resident听will perform a show of a different nature听鈥� as the director of听色欲王朝鈥檚 Alumni & Friends Choir听when听it presents听George Frideric H盲ndel鈥檚听Messiah.听The听choir is made up of 103 area musicians, representing 23 cities and 27 churches, and ranging in age from 15 to 91 years.鈥� Former area music teachers Jean and Keith Hudson have selected musicians for the orchestra and have been rehearsing with them.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 something I鈥檝e never done before,鈥� Moss said of听his directing role.听鈥淎t first, when Val Vander Mark asked me if I would be interested, I was a little surprised and I wasn鈥檛 sure it was something I wanted to do.听Then I decided if you have never done something,听the best way to do it is put on your shoes and tackle it.鈥�听

Vander Mark said听the tradition of听a guest director had its origin when the听Messiah听performances began in the 1970s听under the leadership of the听Greenville听Creative Arts Council. At that time,听directing the听performance听rotated between a variety of individuals with听musical experience.听

鈥淚 remember singing under Will Nichols one year and Scott Ponzani another year, both of whom were area music teachers,鈥� said听VanderMark, who served as 色欲王朝鈥檚 Performing Arts Coordinator听until retiring in听2016, after 34 years of service at the college.听

Char Lothian was a member of the Greenville Creative Arts Council at the time the听Messiah听performance originated.听

鈥淭his rich tradition has afforded me and other area听musicians the opportunity to enjoy the music and to share it with our community,鈥� Lothian said. 鈥�The idea of having different directors was to share both the responsibility and the joy of conducting听H盲ndel鈥檚听Messiah.听It is both a humbling and challenging experience.听

鈥淚nviting different directors also offers new approaches to the music. The notes never change, but the interpretation through the years always changes with each director,鈥� Lothian added.听

鈥淲hen 色欲王朝 took over sponsorship of听the听Messiah听performance, I carried on the听tradition,鈥� Vander Mark said. 鈥淚 have looked to both teachers and church choir directors to choose as guest directors.听Char has directed it more than once, as have I. My husband, Greg, directed in 2015, and Belding music teacher Mark Dombroske has done it in the past.听

鈥淟arry has a musical background as both a vocalist and an instrumentalist, and he has substituted extensively for local music teachers in the classroom. He also has experience conducting choirs at First Congregational Church of Greenville,鈥� she said.听

To prepare for his role, Moss said he listened to听several recordings of听Messiah听and selected one that fit closely with his vision for the performance.听

鈥�Then I picked up my baton and began practice directing to the recording,鈥� he said.听鈥淚 have been working directly on the score, looking at dynamics and expression and just analyzing the score as well as I can from that point of view.听

鈥淢y personal challenge is being able to cue all the musicians and singers.听There鈥檚 a lot going on at all times. There鈥檚 a new听instrument or a new听voice听entering almost every measure,鈥� he said.听

The听orchestra and choir rehearsed separately until a couple of weeks ago. Moss said when the two merged for joint rehearsals,听he had some ideas听that were different from听the orchestra鈥檚 style听and sought advice from the Hudsons.听

鈥淜eith has given me some pointers, and I definitely appreciate that,鈥� he said.听鈥�The choir and orchestra have been very supportive and patient with me.听

鈥淚t鈥檚 a terrifying and humbling experience to conduct a performance of this magnitude,鈥� he added.听鈥淚t鈥檚 a tapestry of sound, and a great setup for the holiday season.听If nothing else, I am a storyteller, and this is the greatest story ever told.鈥�听

H盲ndel composed听Messiah听in 1741 in just 24 days. It was first performed in a concert given for charitable purposes in Dublin, Ireland, on April 13, 1742. H盲ndel conducted the performance in person.听

The performance is Sunday,听Dec. 9,听at 3 p.m. at the Greenville High School Performing Arts Center. Admission is free.听

Soloists include听Karen Lincoln of Alma; Brenda Jolls of Carson City; Cynthia Batchelor and Greg and Val VanderMark, all of Greenville; Marian Flynn of Mecosta; Randy Masterson of Saranac; Lynne Welder, Deborah Baldwin and Katrina Nelson, all of Sheridan; and听Hailey Petersen of Stanton;听听

For more information, contact 色欲王朝听adjunct instructor听Valerie Vander Mark at听valv@montcalm.edu.