Christmas at Cathedral to feature Messiah

By KATIE LEFEBVRE, Globe staff reporter
November 27, 2003

The Christmas at Cathedral concert presented by the Cathedral Arts Guild will be at 8 p.m. on Dec. 12 at the Cathedral of the Epiphany, 1000 Douglas Street, in Sioux City.

Christmas at Cathedral, which is a benefit for the Cathedral Arts Guild, will bring together Briar Cliff University's Cliff Singers and the Siouxland Master Chorale. The choir will include about 140 to150 people from around Siouxland. About a 30-piece orchestra will provide the accompaniment.

The director for Christmas at Cathedral will be Dr. Lisa Lutter, the new choral director at Briar Cliff. Lutter is originally from Moorhead, Minn. and received her doctorate from the Manhattan School of Music. She previously taught music at the University of Guam for eight years and most recently at CYNY for 15 years in New York.

This year the choir and orchestra will be performing George Frideric Handel's Messiah. All of part one and portions of part two and three will be sung during the performance.

"The Messiah is a musical drama of human redemption," said Dr. Mary Day, OSF. "Part one deals with Christ's birth. It is all Scripture based. Part two takes his death and part three is the resurrection."

In previous years, parts of Messiah have been incorporated into the performance, but this year the whole concert will be sung from Messiah. Although Messiah was not popular during Handel's lifetime, it is today. The entire work was written in 24 days and was one of Handel's favorites.

"It's probably the most well-known of Christmas cantatas and remains because it is so well written and it's crafted in such a way that it remains a favorite of everybody's and touches everyone," explained Day. "Even if they have never gone, something hits them generally. It's such a direct expression of Christmas and the total Christian event of Christ's life on earth, that it has this infinite capacity to renew us during the holiday time."

This year soloists will be brought in to perform with the choir. Erika Wueschner will sing the soprano solo. Hal Beasley, a counter tenor will sing the alto solo. David Stattleman from East Lansing, Mich. and a graduate of the music department at Briar Cliff will sing the tenor solo. Won Cho from University of Northern Iowa will sing the bass/baritone solo.

"We haven't brought in soloists of this caliber for a while so that will be new," said Day.

The mission of the Cathedral Arts Guild is to foster the historic role of the Cathedral as a diocesan and community center for prayer, hospitality and the arts.

"The Cathedral Arts Guild puts together a series of events every year," said Day, a member of the Cathedral Arts Guild. "This particular event, Christmas at Cathedral, is a benefit to raise money for the Cathedral Arts Guild so that they can encourage more activities at the Cathedral in light of our mission.

In previous years, there have been two evenings of the performance, but this year there will be only one chance for people to listen to the concert.

Tickets, available for a $15 donation or $10 for senior citizens and students, may be purchased at Briar Cliff University, (712) 279-5321; Cathedral of the Epiphany, (712) 255-1637; or Central Catholic Offices, (712) 255-7933. There will be no reserve seating and doors open at 7:15 p.m.