For many, the holiday season’s joy will become tangible when the Messiah Chorus of Lake County performs Handel’s “Messiah“ at 4 p.m. on Dec.1 at St. Gabriel Catholic Church, 9925 Johnnycake Ridge Road in Concord Township. Free admission is first-come, first-seated. This is the 74th season for the local Messiah Chorus. “Messiah,” which tells the New Testament story in music of the birth, life, death and resurrection of Jesus Christ, is considered one of the most complex and difficult choral works to perform. Composed by George Frideric Handel on a harpsichord in 1741, with its words taken from the Bible, it was originally intended as an Easter concert. But because much of the two-and-a-half-hour musical event is devoted to the birth of Jesus, it’s become a fixture of the Christmas season. Pianist Beth Singer has been the chief keyboardist for the Messiah Chorus of Lake County production of Handel’s “Messiah” since 2018. (Michele Kuch) Many are astonished to discover that it took Handel just 24 days to compose the 260-page oratorio. Handel’s contemporaries Ludwig van Beethoven and Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart both recognized his genius. According to the article “The Glorious History of Handel’s Messiah,” from a 2009 Smithsonian Magazine, Beethoven called Handel the “greatest composer who ever lived” and Mozart confessed humility in the face of his genius, saying, “Handel knows better than any of us what will make an effect. When he chooses, he strikes like a thunderbolt.” The first presentation by the local Messiah Chorus was in 1949, and it has endured, with many of the singers performing it multiple times. In some years, there have been more than 200 singers. This year’s chorus has 110 voices, along with professional soloists, a string orchestra, an organ, a harpsichord and a trumpet. It’s an ecumenical group, with singers of all faiths coming from throughout Northeast Ohio. Each must purchase his or her own music and commit to seven two-hour rehearsals each Sunday at First Baptist Church of Painesville. Conductor Kevin Donahue has led the chorus for 12 years and performed in it himself for eight years before that. He’s the music director for St. Gabriel Church and has a full-time job in Cleveland. For next year’s 75th anniversary of the Messiah Chorus of Lake County, Donahue plans to bring the production to Mentor High School’s Performing Arts Center for a reunion of past singers. Trumpeter Erik Svoboda, a retired teacher from Mentor, has played for 26 years as one of the group’s professional musicians. One might think that after all that time he’d know the music inside and out and would not have to rehearse. “I don’t rehearse with the singers, but I practice every day,” he said. “If I miss a day, I know it. If I miss two days, my wife knows it. If I miss three days, the audience knows it.” Tenor Kathy Miller has sung with the Messiah Chorus of Lake County for nine years. (Michele Kuch) Those who sing in the chorus never fail to fall under the joyous spell of the “Messiah.” Some consider it a worship service, not a performance. Many of them also have commitments with their own churches. “This will be my 66th year singing the “Messiah,” said Don Densmore, 94, of Perry, who served for many years as his church’s music director and still plays the accordion at area nursing homes. Donahue calls him “an incredible bass.” Densmore said his voice isn’t as strong as it once was, but he still loves singing as part of the “Messiah” concert. “It’s pure joy to be part of how the music comes together every year,” he said. Pianist Beth Singer, director of music for Perry Schools, has served as “Messiah” keyboardist since 2018. She believes that live music happens in the moment. “It releases endorphins and brings people happiness to be part of the creation of something bigger than yourself when everyone is doing their part,” she said. Glenn Obergfell, who is singing in the “Messiah” for the first time this year, calls it “magic.” As director of the choral music programs for Riverside Schools, he feels privileged to witness that magic as his students make beautiful music together. He said he saw that same magic the other day with the bonding he witnessed among teens rehearsing for a concert. “I saw the love and joy of all these personalities and backgrounds who were brought together by music and experiencing the fruits of their labor,” he said. That joy fuels the passion he continues to have for his work. Sopranos rehearsing for the Messiah Chorus of Lake County production of Handel’s “Messiah” are Nancy Wilcox, left, now in her 23rd year, and sisters Connie Dmytriw and Sue Palchesko, both with 45 years in the group. (Michele Kuch) The audience never fails to respond to Handel’s “Messiah,” rising to its feet when the famous “Hallelujah” chorus rings out and again near the “Amen” conclusion of the lengthy presentation. Handel was gratified about the feelings elicited in response to his music, the Smithsonian article says. “The chorus propels the work forward with great emotional impact and uplifting messages,” says London Handel Orchestra director Laurence Cummings, in that piece. “The feelings of joy you get from the ‘Hallelujah’ chorus are second to none. “And how can anybody resist the ‘Amen’ chorus at the end? It will always lift your spirits if you are feeling down.” Handel’s ‘Messiah’ Presenter: Messiah Chorus of Lake County. When: 4 p.m. Dec. 1. Where: St. Gabriel Church, 9925 Johnnycake Ridge Road, Concord Township. Admission: No charge; a free-will offering taken to pay professional musicians; first-come, first-seated. Info: messiahchorus.com.