THE MISSISSIPPI CHORUS is pleased to announce concert plans for 2011-2012.  The season will begin on Saturday evening, December 17 at Wesley Chapel in Jackson and feature the first portion of George Frideric Handel’s beloved Messiah.  In addition to a chamber ensemble of instrumentalists, Vicksburg organist Paul Lee will join Jackson’s own Phyllis Lewis-Hale (soprano), Lester Senter (mezzo-soprano), John White (tenor) and James Martin (bass-baritone) to present this elegant and invigorating story of the Advent and Nativity of Jesus.  The CHORUS will open the concert with a cappella carols by German Renaissance composer Michael Praetorius (1571-1621) including his well-known and lively “Psallite.”  “Christmas Day” by Gustav Holst (1874-1934) and “Fantasia on Christmas Carols” by Ralph Vaughan Williams (1872-1958) will be included, and the concert will end with “Candlelight Carol,” by John Rutter (born 1945). 

The final concert of the season will take place on Tuesday, May 22, 2012 at Wesley Biblical Seminary and feature the music of Franz Joseph Haydn (1732-1809), Ludwig van Beethoven (1770-1827) and Johannes Brahms (1833-1897) – three titans of Viennese music – as well as Xixi Zhou, silver medalist from the 2012 Wideman International Piano Competition. The CHORUS is thrilled to announce this significant collaboration! Included in this concert’s repertoire are Haydn’s folk-song settings "Alles hat seine Zeit", "Der Augenblick", Wider den Ubermut", “Abenlied zu Gott” and Beethoven’s stately, yet underperformed, “Mass in C,” Op.86.  Mr. Zhou will be featured in Beethoven’s “Choral Fantasy” Op.80.  Brahams’ music will be represented by his “Lieder und Romanzen” Op.93a, and his lush and hopeful “Geistliches Lied” Op.30. This event will be the sole opportunity to hear the 2012 Wideman winner in the State of Mississippi in 2012.  You won’t want to miss it!