A beloved Whidbey music group’s holiday concert this year will feature a very special guest vocalist — you.
Under the direction of Anna Edwards, the Saratoga Orchestra will host a Messiah sing-along as part of “A Very Merry Whidbey Christmas” concert on Saturday, Dec. 17, giving Whidbey residents the opportunity to raise their voices alongside those of other island vocalists.
Attendees may sing along to the Hallelujah chorus and other selections from Handel’s beloved oratorio, as well as other holiday favorites.
Orchestra Executive Director Larry Heidel said the Messiah sing-along is an “interesting and unique concert concept” that has been a successful event for the orchestra in the past. The last time the Saratoga Orchestra held a Messiah sing-along was in 2012, and Heidel said the concert was standing room only.
Heidel said he and other orchestra members are hoping for a similar response this year; with no choir, audience members make up most of the singers, and there’s no telling until the day of the event what the turnout will be or whether singers of all voice parts will be present.
Despite the gamble, Heidel said bringing in singers from all over the community makes for a fun event. Attendees need not have any prior singing or choral experience to participate in the sing-along, though those who wish to prepare ahead of time may purchase a vocal score at Click Music in Oak Harbor. Links to practice videos are also available on the orchestra’s website, www.sowhidbey.com.
Folks who enjoy listening to Christmas tunes but suffer from stage fright shouldn’t feel discouraged from attending. Heidel said concert-goers don’t need to participate in the sing-along unless they want to.
“Every concert needs listeners,” he said.
The concert will showcase a great deal of Whidbey talent. The Messiah sing-along will feature guest vocalists soprano Liz Hendricks, alto Eva Nelson and bass Karl Olsen. They will perform selected arias and recitatives from Messiah between the sing-along choruses.
Hendricks, who lives in Oak Harbor, teaches voice lessons and sings with the Pacific Northwest Opera. Nelson has been a featured soloist with a number of local groups and appeared in several performances at the Whidbey Playhouse and Whidbey Island Center for the Arts. Olsen is a member of the Shifty Sailors and has taught music in all three Whidbey Island school districts.
The orchestra will also be joined by Christina “The Singer Tina” Atteberry, an entrepreneur and former member of the Navy who has been making waves in the Whidbey Island music scene in recent years. Whidbey’s beloved sea shanty group The Shifty Sailors will also perform.
The concert will take place at 2 p.m. Dec. 17 in the Coupeville High School commons. Tickets are available at Click Music in Oak Harbor, Bayleaf in Coupeville and Blue Sound Music and Moonraker Books in Langley; at the door up to an hour before the concert; or online at www.sowhidbey.com.
Photo provided Christina Atteberry, top, and the Shifty Sailors will be guest performers at the Saratoga Orchestra’s Christmas concert Dec. 17.
