Greater Hartford Community Sing of Messiah, an Oratorio
Center Church
Hartford
Jan. 5, 2026
On the first Sunday of the new year, Center Church throws its doors open to the music-loving public, inviting singers from all over Greater Hartford to come together and perform excerpts from George Frideric Handel’s Messiah.
The tradition began 20 years ago at Trinity Church in Windsor, before moving to Center Church in 2018. The move seems ordained, as legend has it that the very first performance of Messiah in Hartford occurred at Center Church.
The choir members, all talented in their own right, are supported by professional singers who tackle the solos in Handel’s ambitious work. This year, tenor Christopher L. Dukes, bass/baritone Stewart Battle, contralto Charity Clark and soprano Michelle Murray Fiertek lent their voices to the performance. The organ was played by Robert F. Gilbert, director of music at Center Church.
Finally, in a first for the Community Sing to celebrate the 20th anniversary, trumpeters Eric Tunkel and William Valenti, along with timpanist Christopher Latournes joined the performance.
The concert opened with Dukes’ booming voice singing the recit. The four soloists cycled through the rest of the performance. It was a sight to behold as the soloists serenaded the audience from the balcony above, accompanied by Gilbert’s precise organing.
The professionalism of the volunteer choir members was impressive as well. The music director explained that the assembled singers had only about half an hour of rehearsal time together before they began their 90 minute concert. If he’d said that the group had been singing together for years I would have believed him. There wasn’t a single stray note or missed harmony to be heard amongst the dozens of performers.
What was special about the performance was the fully communal nature of it. Later in the concert, the choir took a break from Messiah and sang some carols, inviting the audience to join in and sing along. I’ve been to other concerts where the audience sings along, of course, but this was the first time I could remember the audience being included as an integral part of the performance. Everyone, from children to adults, joined in singing Silent Night, and it was a genuinely heartwarming moment where all voices came together as one.
I also enjoyed running into people I hadn’t seen for a long time. I came across the parents of a former high school classmate, who I knew well thanks to their constant involvement in the school community. I also ran into a colleague that I’d met while working at the state capitol that I haven’t seen since the end of the legislative session. Seeing them outside of our usual contexts was surprising, but as part of the group choir, I could see the same generosity and kindness they’d always extended to me.
The concert ended with the section of Messiah that we’re all familiar with, and the timpani pounding and trumpets blaring along with the full force of the choir felt like the perfect welcome for a new year that celebrates the bonds of community across faiths and geography. The Messiah concert was one of the most integrated church spaces I’ve ever been in, and a true celebration of the spirit that moved so many talented performers to come together.
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Jamil goes to check out the Three King’s Day parade in Hartford.
