Tickets are now on sale for Elgin Sing-Along Handel’s Messiah 

Proceeds will benefit PADS of Elgin

(October 2, 2024 – Elgin, Illinois) – Tickets are now available for the third annual Elgin Sing-Along Messiah, taking place Friday, Dec. 6, at 7 p.m. at the Blizzard Theatre at the Elgin Community College Arts Center, 1700 Spartan Drive, Elgin.  Proceeds from the event will benefit PADS of Elgin, a 24/7 congregate shelter servings individuals experiencing homelessness in the local area. The event is sponsored by Elgin Community College, the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, and an anonymous donor.

The festive Sing-Along event makes the audience a participant as they sing the chorus in selections from Handel’s famed Messiah! while accompanied by the extraordinary talent of Elgin area musicians and vocalists, including the Elgin Symphony Orchestra, the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra, the Midwest Opera Theatre, and members of the Elgin Master Chorale. Soloists include soprano Maria Kanyova, mezzo soprano Emma Dickens, tenor Stephen Michael Patrick, and bass David Govertsen.

Chicago area conductor and educator Matthew Sheppard, who is also artistic director at the Elgin Youth Symphony Orchestra, will lead the performance which is just over one hour long and features the Christmas-focused selections from the Messiah!

No experience is necessary; chorus scores will be available at the door for those who would like to sing along. Audience members may choose to sit by vocal section, where members of the Elgin Master Chorale will assist in leading the section in the choruses, or in a general seating area. Tickets are just $5, plus a $2 handling fee. Children 12 and younger are free. Ticket buyers can use the code MESSIAH at check out to have the $5 processing fee per order waived, courtesy of Elgin Community College. Learn more and reserve tickets at www.elginsing-alongmessiah.org. Follow @greaterelginsingalongmessiah on Facebook and @elginsingalongmessiah on Instagram.

Supporting local charities

The Elgin Sing-Along Messiah is planned by a volunteer group of Elgin-area residents and business leaders with the goal of raising awareness and funding for local charities through ticket sales and free-will donations. The group highlights a different local nonprofit each year to put a spotlight on the needs of the community and give residents a way to help.

This year, the committee has chosen PADS of Elgin as its beneficiary.

PADS of Elgin is a 24/7 congregate shelter serving individuals experiencing homelessness in Elgin, Hanover, Dundee, and Rutland Townships. We provide a safe place to sleep year-round, along with showers, laundry facilities, three meals daily, snacks, clothing, shoes, basic necessities, and comprehensive case management. In FY24, we served 144 guests, including 35% women, 64% men, and 0.6% non-binary individuals. Additionally, 28% were under 18, and 15% were fleeing domestic violence.

Since its first performance in 2022, the event has raised nearly $9,000 for charities serving Elgin residents in need, including Food for Greater Elgin and Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley.

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