The Brattleboro Music Center’s Blanche Moyse Chorale, conducted by Mary Westbrook-Geha, will perform Handel’s complete Messiah with featured soloists and orchestra on March 13 at 7pm at Vermont Academy’s Horowitz Performing Arts Center and March 15 at 1pm at the Latchis Theatre in Brattleboro, VT. Edward Jones Investment is proud to sponsor these southern Vermont concerts.

The Blanche Moyse Chorale was formed in 1978 by Brattleboro Music Center’s founder Blanche Moyse, and many of the current singers have been singing in the chorale for more than twenty years. In honor of Blanche Moyse and the 250th anniversary of Frederic Handel’s death, the Chorale has chosen to perform the entire three-part Messiah.

Handel’s Messiah is one of the most popular classical oratorios, yet it is rarely performed in its entirety, as it will be under the baton of Ms. Westbrook-Geha. Singers of all levels annually flock to community Messiah sings during the Christmas season, and this is when excerpts from Messiah are typically performed, such as the Hallelujah chorus. Yet, originally, the three-part oratorio was performed during Lent, as this performance will be.

Much of the text of the Messiah is taken from the Old Testament though the story of Christ’s life is taken from the New Testament. The first part focuses on the Advent and Christmas stories while the second part relates to Christ’s passion, resurrection and ascension. The third part concerns itself with Revelations according to St. John.


Featured soloists include conductor Mary Westbrook-Geha singing mezzo-soprano. Throughout the USA and Western Europe, Westbrook-Geha has been heard in works from chamber music to opera. She has appeared with the Dresden Staatskapelle, Belgian National Opera, Boston Symphony, Handel & Haydn Society, San Francisco Symphony, the Orchestra of St. Luke's and summer festivals at Tanglewood, Caramoor, Marlboro and the PepsiCo Summerfare. A soloist in Emmanuel Music's Bach Cantata Series since 1978, Mary Westbrook-Geha appeared in more than 10 seasons with the New England Bach Festival. She has recorded for Arabesque, Denon, Music Masters, Sony Classical. Westbrook-Geha currently teaches music at Bellows Falls High School, VT, teaches voice privately and has been the permanent Conductor of the Blanche Moyse Chorale since 2007.

Jayne West, soprano, soloist with Emmanuel Music since 1987, has sung with the Boston Symphony Orchestra, Philadelphia Orchestra, Detroit Symphony Orchestra, Orchestra of St. Luke's, and St. Paul Chamber Orchestra, as well as with the Mark Morris Dance Group and numerous opera and choral organizations throughout the USA and Europe. Ms. West remains active with her singing career while teaching Voice at Longy School of Music and running her website design company, Webley West Designs. Also, view www.jaynewest.com

Tenor David Vanderwal is known for his clarion lyric vocal qualities. He has had feature roles with the American Bach Soloists, Seattle Baroque Orchestra, Oregon Bach Festival Orchestra, Austin Symphony Orchestra, Oregon Symphony, New York Collegium, Tafelmusik,, and many choral societies nationwide. He has also appeared as featured soloist with many choral societies nationwide. Mr. Vanderwal has recorded under the Allegro, Delos, Pro Musica Gloriae, and Koch International record labels, and with Western Wind of New York on their own label. He has also won several awards in national and local vocal competitions. Find more information and choice recordings at www.dvanderwal.com

Bass-Baritone Robert Honeysucker is another well-known singer at the New England Bach Festival, but opera and classical music lovers across the country have also heard him perform a wide range of characters and roles too numerous to list. Boston Globe referred to Honeysucker as “majestic” in his final performance celebrating his thirty years with Allen Lannom of the Masterworks Chorale in Boston. Honeysucker’s in depth www.operaonline.us review can be found at www.RobertHoneysucker.com

Tickets are $18 per person, $10 for students and are available at www.brattleborotix.com or by calling the Brattleboro Music Center at 802-257-4523.