“Messiah” and more: Bella Voce’s holiday performances delight

For two nights leading up to Christmas – specifically Dec. 19 and 20 – the residents of Lincoln County were invited to attend a concert that constitutes a long-held tradition. Bella Voce, a singing group native to Lincoln County, has held this Christmas concert every two years for the past decade, becoming a large part of the Christmas celebration for many local families. Having practiced for months under their director, Klark Black, these musicians have fine-tuned their abilities to give the best performance possible as they participate in the celebration of the birth of Christ.

As per usual, the first half of the concert was dedicated to Handel’s “Messiah,” which includes the Christmas classic, the “Hallelujah Chorus,” celebrating the holy birth. Soloists during this section of the concert included Dylan Frehner, Karina Katschke, Lincoln Frehner and Lara Heiselbetz. The entire piece is made up of 10 individual songs, which are sung essentially non-stop. It’s the lyrical equivalent of a marathon, but it makes for an incredible piece of music and a touching tribute to He is who is the reason for the season.

Following “Messiah” and a short intermission, the rest of the concert began. This section was dedicated to more modern Christmas music, starting with “Grown-up Christmas List,” which was made famous by its inclusion in the 2000 version of “The Grinch”, and talks about a child’s estrangement and eventual reconciliation with the idea of Christmas. Following that was a rendition of Leonard Cohen’s “Hallelujah,” followed by “Lux Aurumque.” The audience was then treated to the song “African Noel” with its intense percussion and lighthearted lyrics, followed by the “Candlelight Carol.”

The choir then moved on to a holiday staple, “Deck the Halls,” followed by “O Come, O Come Emmanuel,” which depicts a prayer to the Savior in hopes of hastening his arrival among his faithful. “O Bethlehem” was next on the list, followed by “Away in a Manger,” a lullaby describing the experience of Jesus’ first night among mortality and a plea from a mother that their sleeping child will be watched over by their Heavenly Father. In an almost ironic twist, the last song of the night was the “First Noel,” another song praising the Lord in the same manner that the shepherds may have heard the good tidings.

While the entire event was a heartwarming tribute to Christmas and what it stands for, it also held another tribute: their long-time accompanist, Karen Culverwell, had passed away earlier this year. During the concert, they noted how Karen had taken on the tremendous task of learning “Messiah,” and despite the difficulty, she had always been able to rise to the occasion. Her presence was sorely missed, but they also mentioned how grateful for the many years they had the opportunity to have her as a part of Bella Voce.