MESSIAH SING 2027
A Palm Sunday Tradition. A Shared Act of Generosity.
Sunday, March 21, 2027 | 3 PM
VALLEY PRESBYTERIAN CHURCH
21 West Whisconier Road | Brookfield, Connecticut 06804
Presented by Valley Music Series and the Connecticut Choral Society with Nexus Choral Artists.
Free admission | $20 suggested donation at the door
All donations received at the door support the Association of Religious Communities (ARC).
Come to Sing. Come to Listen.
Some music becomes part of the way a community marks the passing year.
On Palm Sunday, the Connecticut Choral Society and Valley Music Series invite you to their annual Messiah Sing: an afternoon bringing singers, soloists, and listeners together around one of the great works of the choral tradition. Under the direction of Eric Dale Knapp, with Linda Sweetman-Waters at the organ, the Connecticut Choral Society and Nexus Choral Artists welcome you to experience the expressive power of Händel’s Messiah, Parts II and III.
Join your voice with the chorus, or take your place among the listeners. Both are part of the occasion.
The Program
Georg Friedrich Händel
MESSIAH, HWV 56 — Parts II & III
By focusing on Parts II and III, our Palm Sunday tradition turns toward the heart of the Easter story: suffering and redemption, resurrection and the promise of life everlasting. The searching intensity of “He was despised,” the exultation of “Hallelujah,” and the luminous assurance of “I know that my Redeemer liveth” lead toward the grandeur of “Worthy is the Lamb” and the concluding “Amen.” Across intimate solos and majestic choruses, Händel gives voice to sorrow, consolation, and enduring faith. At the threshold of Holy Week, this music invites reflection and affirms a shared spirit of compassion, generosity, and hope.
The Artists
Arijana Lempke, soprano
Carolyn Fagerholm, mezzo-soprano
Nicholas Simpson, tenor
Bass-baritone to be announced
Connecticut Choral Society
Nexus Choral Artists
Linda Sweetman-Waters, organ
Eric Dale Knapp, conductor
A Tradition Since 2021
The partnership between Valley Music Series and the Connecticut Choral Society began its Messiah Sing tradition on Palm Sunday in 2021. Since that first gathering, the occasion has become a shared expression of musical artistry, hospitality, and service. Valley Presbyterian Church provides a welcoming setting where the distinction between performer and audience opens into something more communal: the experience of making and receiving music together. Returning singers and listeners renew their connection with the work, while newcomers discover a place within the tradition.
For the presenting partners, the purpose reaches beyond the performance itself. Each gathering offers an opportunity to enrich the cultural life of our region and direct the generosity of those assembled toward the needs of others.
Music in the Service of Others
The connection between Messiah and charitable giving reaches back to Händel himself.
In 1750, Händel directed a benefit performance of Messiah for London’s Foundling Hospital, which cared for abandoned children. It began a series of annual performances supporting the charity, an enduring example of great music placed in the service of others. In Händel’s hands, music became a means of caring for others. Our Palm Sunday gathering carries that purpose into the present.
Every donation received at the door will be given to the Association of Religious Communities (ARC) in support of its work in our region. The generosity inspired within the church extends outward to our neighbors, bringing an age-old tradition of benevolence into the life of our community today.
Admission is free, with a $20 suggested donation at the door. Contributions of any amount are welcome.
Join Us on Palm Sunday
Whether Messiah has accompanied you for decades or you are discovering it for the first time, you are welcome to sing or simply listen. Singers are encouraged to bring their own vocal score.
Join us on Palm Sunday for an afternoon of great music and shared generosity.
Sunday, March 21, 2027 | 3 PM
Valley Presbyterian Church | Brookfield, Connecticut