Symphony Group Photo 2021

Symphony Group Photo 2021

The Wartburg Community Symphony will partner with four community choirs on selections from George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah,” on Saturday, Dec. 10, in Neumann Auditorium.

The 2 p.m. concert also will feature Leroy Anderson’s “Sleigh Ride” and Vaughan Williams’ “On Christmas Night.” Following the intermission, the symphony will be joined by musicians from the St. Paul’s Lutheran Church Chancel Choir, Trinity Methodist Church Choir, Bel Canto Cedar Valley and Waverly-Shell Rock Chamber Choir.

“This has been an ambitious collaborative endeavor bringing together more than 150 students and community members. It has been a joy to work alongside such talented and dedicated individuals,” said Rebecca Nederhiser, Wartburg Community Symphony conductor. “This project has embodied the community spirit that I wanted to convey for our 70th season anniversary celebration and the Christmas season.”

A preconcert talk will begin at 1 p.m. in the auditorium with Molly Doran speaking on the history of the concert music and an interview with featured soloist and Wartburg College alumna Madalyn Baez. At 1:30 p.m. Wartburg’s Bethany Washington will lead Fiddlesticks, a group of Suzuki string students, in a performance in the Neumann lobby.

Also featured in the symphony’s performance of “Messiah” will be soloists Jennifer Larson, Brian Pfalztgraff and Travis Toliver.

Tickets are $17 for adults and free for youth ages 18 and younger and Wartburg College students. Wartburg Community Symphony Association memberships, ranging upward from $50, provide complimentary tickets to all four concerts of the season. Tickets and memberships will be available in the Neumann Auditorium lobby before the first concert.

For more information and to purchase tickets online, visit the WCS website at www.wartburg.edu/symphony.