Come enjoy the holiday spirit at the Church of the 49ers in Columbia, with a special musical program scheduled for Sunday, Dec. 10 at 3 p.m.

Bring your own score, or borrow one of theirs, and join the St. James Concert Series in presenting Handel’s Sing-along Messiah, conducted by Dr. Daryl Hollinger with members of the Columbia College Community Chorus, soprano, alto, tenor and bass soloists, and accompanist Diane Day. Admission is free, but a donation of non-perishable food or cash for Interfaith Community Social Services is appreciated.

This performance will include all of Part One, the Hallelujah Chorus, and Worthy is the Lamb.

George Frideric Handel was born in 1685 in Halle, Germany, into a religious and affluent household. His father, Georg Handel, was a celebrated surgeon in northern Germany, and wanted his son to study the law. But an acquaintance, the Duke of Weissenfels, heard the prodigy, then barely 11, playing the organ. The Duke recognized the boy’s genius and is thought to have influenced the doctor’s decision to allow his son to become a musician. By the age of 18, Handel had composed his first opera, Almira.

Messiah was originally an Easter offering, performed on the stage of Musick Hall in Dublin on April 13, 1742. Handel composed the oratorio in the space of three to four weeks in August and September of 1741.

Conductor Daryl Hollinger has been a member of the Columbia College faculty since 2014. He holds a Doctor of Musical Arts from Temple University, and currently serves as Director of Music at First Congregational Church of Murphys.

Diane Day, Accompanist, has been a resident of Murphys for almost 33 years. During that time, she has been teaching, accompanying and performing with local musicians. For 10 years, she commuted to Stanislaus State University to accompany vocal majors and for nine years she accompanied the Columbia College Community Chorus.