By Ashlee Larrison
GCU News Bureau
The return of in-person events marks the return of another beloved Grand Canyon University tradition: the College of Fine Arts and Production’s ninth annual winter performance of Frideric Handel’s “Messiah.”
After a hiatus in winter of 2020 because of the pandemic, Assistant Dean of Music Dr. Juan Hernandez said Handel's message is more relevant than ever.
“We live in a world that desperately needs hope,” Hernandez said. “The message of Handel’s oratorio ‘Messiah’ is timeless. It tells the story of the promised Messiah as recorded in the Bible. It is a message that is just as relevant today as it was in 1741 when Handel composed it, so much so that ‘Messiah’ is one of a handful of works that has been uninterruptedly performed since its premiere in Dublin on April 13, 1742.”
Admission is free for the three performances, which will feature the Canyon Symphony Orchestra, Canyon Choral Society and faculty soloists and will be in the intimate settings of local churches:
- Sing-along: 7 p.m. Friday, La Casa de Cristo Lutheran Church, 6300 E. Bell Road, Scottsdale
- Performance: 2 p.m. Sunday, First United Methodist Church of Phoenix, 5510 N. Central Ave.
- Performance: 7 p.m. Tuesday, Camelback Bible Church, 3900 E. Stanford Drive, Paradise Valley
Handel’s oratorio is structured into three parts and takes audiences on the journey of Christ’s birth, death and resurrection. It has become a composition commonly connected to the Christmas season.
“It is in the message of this promised Messiah, the Son of God who became man and dwelled amongst us, who lived a perfect life that was offered at the cross for the atonement of our sins providing eternal life as we are declared righteous with God that we find hope,” Hernandez said. “For no matter how bad things may be in our world today, we still find hope in the message of the Gospel.”
For more information, call the GCU Arena box office, 602-639-8979.
Contact Ashlee Larrison at (602) 639-8488 or [email protected].
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