"Messiah" performances returning to Luther (and Minneapolis)(UPDATED)

Performances of Handel's "Messiah" have been a tradition at Luther College dating back to 1921.  Luther College professor emeritus of religion and classics Wilfred Bunge, the college's unofficial historian, says the first performance was held at the Grand Opera House in Decorah and featured a combined college and community choir.  
 
Bunge writes, "Many students over the years commented that singing in the "Messiah" chorus was one of the most meaningful experiences of their lives."  Bunge tells how one World War II soldier wrote from Europe in 1944 "that in the midst of the noise of war his thoughts had turned to the performance of the Messiah in Decorah, the quiet peace of the Pastoral Symphony and the reassurance of the Hallelujah Chorus. The memory from his student years sustained him through those dark days." That student was Weston Noble, who returned from the war and conducted "Messiah" performances at Luther College for 56 years.

The performances continued until 2004, but stopped because "Christmas at Luther" performances had expanded and holding both performances became difficult.
 
Now the "Messiah" performances will return—at least this year.  (Corrected from previous that such performances would be held every other year in the future).  Student soloists, the Cathedral Choir, Collegiate Chorale, Nordic Choir, and Symphony Orchestra will perform selections from the "Messiah" on at 7:30 p.m. Friday, March 27th, in the Main Hall of the Center for Faith and Life on the Luther College campus.  Two days later the performance will be repeated in Orchestra Hall in Minneapolis.
 
Tickets for both performances have now gone on sale.  Decorah tickets are $20 for adults and $10 for students (18 and under).  Tickets for the Minneapolis performance are on sale through the Minnesota Orchestra website, http://www.minnesotaorchestra.org

Weston Noble