The 13th annual community sing-along of Handel’s “Messiah,” sponsored by the Fox Valley Orchestra and Chorus, will be held at 2 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 22, at Marmion Abbey Church at 850 Butterfield Road in Aurora.
Everyone is invited to participate in singing the choral sections of this famous work that focuses on the Christmas story, event organizers said. All are welcome whether they want to sing or just to listen.
This year’s “Messiah” will feature a full baroque orchestra as well as a complement of Fox Valley Orchestra Chorus members mingling with the audience, according to a press release about the event.
For those who need one, music scores will be available for purchase in the lobby before the performance, organizers said.
Four guest artists will be featured on the solo portions – Brianna Murray, soprano; Avery Felton, alto; Cornelius Johnson III, tenor; and Michael Cavalieri, bass. The chorus, orchestra, soloists and the audience will be under the direction of Chorus Master Lisa Fredenburgh, according to the release.
Tickets for this fund-raising event are $13 when purchased online or $15 at the door. All proceeds benefit the many orchestra and chorus programs for the community, event organizers said.
For more information, go to the Fox Valley Orchestra website at http://www.foxvalleyorchestra.org/messiah.php.
Sons of American Legion to hold breakfast
The Yorkville Sons of The American Legion will hold its monthly breakfast fundraiser from 7:30 to 10:30 a.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, at the Yorkville American Legion, 9054 E. Veterans Parkway in Yorkville.
The buffet will consist of biscuits and gravy, pancakes, scrambled eggs, potatoes, bacon, sausage, tomato juice, orange juice, milk and coffee.
The cost to attend the breakfast, which is open to the public, is $12 for adults 18 to 54 years old, $10 for those 55 years old and older and $8 for those 6 to 17 years old. Those 5 years old and younger get in free.
CASA Kane County seeking volunteers
CASA Kane County is seeking 50 additional volunteers and will hold some upcoming meetings to provide information to those interested in the opportunity.
CASA, which stands for Court Appointed Special Advocates, is a network of trained community volunteers, supervised by professional staff, and appointed by the juvenile court judge, who serve as the voice for children in foster care, group officials said.
These volunteers often become the one consistent figure in a child’s life, offering stability and advocacy throughout the often-lengthy court process, according to a press release about the group.
In 2023, CASA Kane County advocated for 663 children, the largest number in its 35-year history, officials said. However, the need continues to grow, and the group is actively seeking 50 additional volunteers to meet the increasing demand.
For more information on how to become a volunteer, sign up at https://casakanecounty.org/volunteer-information-meetings/ to attend one of the upcoming general information meetings. The meetings will be held from 3 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Dec. 5; 3 to 4 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 2; 6 to 7 p.m. Monday, Jan. 6; and noon to 1 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 16.
For more information on the group, go to https://casakanecounty.org/.
Female pilots in the spotlight
Rebecca Tulloch, a certified FAA pilot, will tell the story of the “Fly Girls of World War II” and their role in the war effort at 1 p.m. Wednesday, Dec. 11, at the St. Charles Public Library, 1 S. Sixth Ave. in St. Charles.
In 1942, the United States faced a severe shortage of pilots, so an experimental program was begun to help fill the void by training women to fly military aircraft so male pilots could be released for combat duty overseas, library officials said in a press release.
Over 1,100 women served their country during World War II as members of the Women Airforce Service Pilots, WASP, flying every military aircraft flown by the American forces from the PT-17 Stearman to the P-51 Mustang and B-17 Flying Fortress, officials said.
Air ferry missions, target practice for artillery crews and aircraft maintenance shakedown flights were just a few of the missions the women flew, according to the release.
For more information or to register for the program, go to scpld.org or call 630-584-0076.
Guest organist to perform at DuPage Chorale’s fest
Guest organist Stephen Uhl will perform with the DuPage Chorale at its “A Festival of Music with Brass and Organ” at 7:30 p.m. Sunday, Dec. 8, at College of DuPage’s Belushi Performance Hall inside the McAninch Arts Center on the school’s Glen Ellyn campus.
The program features Daniel Pinkham’s “Christmas Cantata,” Gweneth Walker’s “Every Life Shall Be a Song,” Nathan Zullinger’s “Look to This Day,” and selections by Ralph Vaughan Williams, Trevor Weston and Henry Purcell.
Uhl is a Chicago native and acclaimed musician who completed his artist diploma in piano performance at Chicago College of the Performing Arts at Roosevelt University. He and violinist Brian Ostrega released their first album, “50/50,” in 2020.
