Holiday Pops Chorus to perform 'Messiah' in Old Town
On most Tuesday nights from October through mid-December, beautiful music can be heard in Chicago's Old Town neighborhood. That's when the Holiday Pops Chorus, under the direction of Arlington Heights native Maestro Scott Arkenberg, rehearses for the Saturday, Dec. 12, performance of Handel's "Messiah" at historic St. Michael Catholic Church, 1633 N. Cleveland.
Although other Chicago area groups will offer performances of the choral work this holiday season, the Holiday Pops "Messiah" has unique features that set it apart: A talented, professional director with extensive "Messiah" experience; a volunteer chorus of more than 80 members accompanied by the 22-piece Ravenswood Ensemble orchestra; and the beautiful setting of St. Michael's.
This year marks Arkenberg's 40th anniversary as a choral conductor. For 14 consecutive seasons, he conducted "Messiah" performances with the St. Clement Concert Choir in Lincoln Park. A graduate of Chicago's DePaul University, Arkenberg pursued master's and doctoral studies in choral music at the University of Southern California in Los Angeles.
In recent years, he has directed holiday concerts at St. Michael's that featured the Holiday Pops Chorus singing traditional carols, as well as specially written musical arrangements by WGN-TV's Dan Ponce, a founding member of the men's a cappella singing group Straight No Chaser.
The Holiday Pops Chorus is a group of diverse voices from all over the Chicago area, including several city neighborhoods, many suburbs and beyond. Some come from as far away as Milwaukee and Michigan City to attend rehearsals.
Why do they travel many miles every week to sing for hours? Ask a few of the singers and it becomes clear this is a dedicated group. They're drawn to the Holiday Pops chorus in various ways.
"Scott has a special way of describing how music should be performed, and his spiritual visualization of the piece is so insightful," says Susanne Heron of Arlington Heights.
For Barrington optometrist Joe Aschenbrenner, the Holiday Pops "has given me the opportunity to perform music, such as the 'Messiah,' that you would not normally do, with a wonderful group of singers under the guidance of a talented director."
Allison Lackey Peschel was recently confirmed in the Catholic Church and says, "It is especially meaningful to spend this Christmas season learning and performing Handel's 'Messiah.' Coming together with other individuals of all professional backgrounds and neighborhoods to sing such beautiful music is really something special."
The soaring Romanesque arches of St. Michael's, which was built in 1873, and the deep jewel tones of the stained glass windows play a part in drawing singers to the group, too.
"I can't imagine a more exalted venue for the performance," says Greg Miksa, "The magnificent architecture of the altar evokes the spirituality of Handel's 'Messiah.'"
Don't miss the opportunity to experience the Holiday Pops "Messiah" concert at 7 p.m. Saturday, Dec. 12. General admission tickets are $25; tickets for students and seniors are $20. Both can be purchased through www.holidaypopschicago.com.