On April 24, Littleton United Methodist Church will host a performance of Mendelssohn’s monumental oratorio, Elijah. Performing with the church’s 70-voice Chancel Choir will be baritone Steven Taylor, tenor James Baumgardner, University Choir from Colorado Christian University, and the Colorado Chamber Orchestra.
Dean of the CCU College of Music, Taylor is a well-known performer in the region and is a veteran in the role of Elijah. Joining him will be former CCU voice faculty member, tenor James Baumgardner, now of Vail, and soloists from the church and university. The large choir will be balanced by a powerful orchestra comprised of the finest pro musicians in the region. The performance will take place under the baton of Dr. David Kates, the long-time Music Director at the church, who also serves as Director of Choral Studies at the university.
Elijah is one of the best-known and most dramatic works in the oratorio repertoire. Mendelssohn masterfully set the story of the Old Testament prophet to highly dramatic music that vividly depicts the mood of every scene, portraying angry Israelites, frenzied priests of Baal, fire raining from heaven, coursing floods, raging crowds, apocolyptic earthquakes and fires, and the still small voice of God. In keeping with recent performance practice, this performance will feature a version that has been pared-down to its dramatic essentials.
The 2:00 p.m. performance, which is sponsored by the church’s Fine Arts Series, is free and open to the public. Littleton United Methodist Church is located at 5894 S. Datura St. in Littleton. For more information, please visit littletonumc.org.
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