Skip to Content

Owensboro Community and Technical College

  • Sign in to your Merit page
« Back to Recent News

Owensboro Choral Society Presents 79th Annual Handel's Messiah

Sun., Dec 8 @ 2:30 PM

by Bernie Hale

Owensboro, KY (11/27/2019) — On Sunday, Dec. 8 at 2:30, the Owensboro Choral Society will present the 79th annual performance locally of Handel's Messiah at Third Baptist Church. The first Owensboro performance was Dec. 7, 1941, the day Pearl Harbor was bombed. Since then, Messiah has become a tradition and is performed on a Sunday near the anniversary date of the bombing.

Directed by Dr. Connie Ford, Professor of Music at Owensboro Community and Technical College, the chorus is comprised of community members, some of which have been singing in this event since the 1960s. The soprano soloist is Lesley Ferguson, an Owensboro native now living in Cincinnati. She holds a Bachelors in Vocal Performance from the University of Kentucky and a Masters in Vocal Performance from the University of Cincinnati-College Conservatory of Music. She has been an active soloist in theater productions and the concert stage. The alto soloist is Emily Malone, also an Owensboro native. Emily is a graduate of Kentucky Wesleyan College with a Bachelors in Vocal Performance. She sings in the Owensboro Symphony Chorus and is currently President of Encore Musicals. The tenor soloist is Jonathan Poland who earned a Bachelor of Music in Music Performance from Kentucky Wesleyan College and serves as Worship Leader at Heritage Baptist Church. The bass soloist is Aaron Eaves who recently graduated from Westminster Choir College where he received a Master of Music in vocal performance and pedagogy. He earned an undergraduate degree from Kentucky Wesleyan College in Music Education. As a performer, he has sung principal opera roles in New Jersey, Croatia, Salzburg, and Prague. Most recently he performed the role of Il Conte from Le Nozze di Figaro with Prague Summer Nights. He continues to perform and audition for professional and educational engagements as well as teach voice to students.

The organist is James Wells, Director of Music at St. Stephen Cathedral, and the harpsichordist is local piano instructor Joyce Goodwin who is organist/pianist at First Baptist Church and accompanist for the Kentucky Youth Chorale. The chorus will also be accompanied by a thirteen piece orchestra.

The Messiah performance has maintained a long relationship with the Goodfellows of Owensboro and a free-will offering will be taken during the performance for their work in the community. Donations, also, to the Owensboro Choral Society will help ensure the continued performance of Handel's Messiah in the Owensboro community.

##

Owensboro Community & Technical College is one of the sixteen community and technical colleges that make up the Kentucky Community & Technical College System. OCTC serves the KY counties of Daviess, Hancock, Ohio and McLean. OCTC has three campuses in Daviess County and a Center and Annex in Hancock County. OCTC strives to serve the communities in the service area by providing associate degree education for transfer, state of the art technical education for students focusing on entering the workforce, customized business and industry solutions through the Workforce Solutions division, and adult education and business and industry testing through the SkillTrain unit.

#

The Kentucky Community and Technical College System is the Commonwealth's largest postsecondary institution with 16 colleges and more than 70 campuses. We also are Kentucky's largest provider of workforce training and online education. Through partnerships with business and industry, we align our programs to meet the needs of local employers. We help students fulfill their dreams of creating a better life through programs that lead directly to jobs or help them transfer to one of our four-year partners.

Connect with OCTC: Owensboro.kctcs | Facebook.com/owensboroctc | Twitter@OCTC_Tweets | Instagram OwensboroCTC

Media Attachments

Owensboro Community and Technical College

Bernie Hale (270) 686-4506

Share this Story

  • Print
  • Email

Recent News

  • OCTC Capital Bluegrass Band Announces Open Auditions for Two Ensemble Groups
  • OCTC Veterinary Technology Preadmission Conference
  • OCTC Welcomes Windy Hollow Cafe to Campus
  • Parking Lot Sealing Schedule at OCTC Main Campus
  • OCTC Hosting Pathfinder Day & Saturday Registration
  • OCTC Receives 5-Year TRiO Grant
  • OCTC Adult Education to Honor 130 GED Graduates at Annual Celebration
  • OCTC Student Affairs Offices Return to Campus Center Following Geothermal System Installation
  • OCTC Surgical Technology Program Achieves Remarkable 11-Year Streak of 100% Pass Rates
  • OCTC Partners with Local Employers to Provide Students with On-the-Job Experience and Tuition Assistance
… View all recent news
Copyright © 2025 Merit Pages, Inc. • All Rights Reserved. • Terms of Service • Privacy Policy • Opt Out