Culture

It’s a Wonderful Messiah Sing
Anyone who has ever sung Händel’s Messiah should come enjoy Brattleboro’s annual Messiah Sing on the first Saturday of December. You should probably cram first. I do. This post is our Saturday morning cram guide.

‘s Messiah Sing is Brattleboro at its best. It’s when everyone from our diverse music community is drawn to one place. The soloists are not boring. They’re either up-and-and coming locals or let-me-show-you-how-this-is-done professionals. For the choruses, you’ll always be near a strong singer. Brattleboro is lousy with them. You can just hum along if you’re unsure and then sing loud for the Hallelujah Raucus. If the singing stops during that dramatic rest just before the final Hallelujah, it’s wonderful and glorious. Someone ususally goofs, but there’s always next year when we’re sure to get it right. You just gotta let go on the Hallelujah Chorus. That’s the thing and ’tis the season. As the page turn will tell you, I Know That My Redeemer Liveth!

Friends of Music at Guilford invites singers and music lovers in the Tri-State region to start their holiday season at 1:00 p.m. on Saturday, December 5, with the 45th annual Community Messiah Sing, a benefit for the homeless. Centre Congregational Church, at 193 Main Street in Brattleboro, has been home for the Sing since 1982 and for a few prior seasons as well.

Terry Larsen, a resident of Southampton, Mass., returns for a ninth season to lead the Sing. He brings over twenty-five years of experience as a music teacher, choral singer, soloist, and conductor to his role at the helm. William McKim, who has played the organ at this event for twenty-seven past seasons, and officially “retired” twice from doing so, agreed to step in on short notice when UVM’s David Neiweem, who played for the Sing in 2014, broke a collarbone in late October.

Mole Hill Theatre presents contemporary bluegrass and folk music quartet The Stockwell Brothers on Friday, December 4 at 7:30 pm.

Bruce, Barry, Alan and Kelly Stockwell’s music spans traditional and progressive styles, but their trademark acoustic sound features new singer/songwriter material recast with banjo, alternative rhythms and three-part harmonies. They cover straight ahead bluegrass songs, finger picked acoustic guitar ballads, full tilt breakdowns and traditional mandolin tunes mixed in with more unusual fare – Americana melodies riding world beat grooves and Celtic, jazzy, even neo-classical instrumentals.

The Vermont Jazz Center will present its annual big band swing gala on Friday, December 4th at 8:00 PM. All proceeds will support the VJC’s Scholarship Program. This year’s concert will feature the music of world-class vibraphonist Terry Gibbs and his Dream Band. The VJC will use the same arrangements that Gibbs’ Ensemble performed during the group’s apex that took place in the late 1950s and early ‘60s.

Based out of Los Angeles, Gibbs’ Dream Band is still recognized as one of the best big bands to emerge after the bebop movement. It included heavy hitters Mel Lewis, Joe Maini, Frank Rosolino, Conte Candoli and Richie Kamuca and was given the title of “Best Band in the World” in Downbeat’s 1962 Critic’s Poll. Arrangers for the Dream Band were some of the finest jazz composers of the time including Bill Holman, Med Flory, Shorty Rogers, Lennie Niehaus, Marty Paich, Al Cohn, Bob Brookmeyer and Manny Albam.