Sunday, 27 November, at 7:30 p.m., the Church of the Redeemer will host the Bach Festival of Central Florida — one of the oldest Bach Festivals in the state of Florida. This special festival will celebrate the 400th anniversary of the King James Bible by featuring a special rendition of Georg Friedrich Handel’s Christmas Messiah – one of the best-known, most-beloved, and most frequently performed choral works in Western music.

Virginia Davidson, a founding member of the Bach Festival of Central Florida, will conduct a baroque orchestra, accompanied by Redeemer Organist/Choirmaster Ann Stephenson-Moe on organ. The Redeemer choir will be joined by four outstanding soloist talents: Dr. Anthony Offerle, baritone; Bryce Westervelt, tenor; Adelaide Boedecker, soprano; and Reba Evans, mezzo-soprano.

Dr. Anthony Offerle is an Associate Professor at the University of Florida – School of Music where he teaches studio voice, directs the opera program; during the summer months, he serves on the voice faculty of the prestigious Operafestival di Roma in Italy. Offerle’s credits include performances with the OperaEstate in Rome, The Cincinnati Opera, International Chamber Orchestra, Dayton Opera, Wyoming Opera, Charleston Symphony, Savannah Symphony, Evansville Philharmonic, and the Piccolo Spoleto Festival. He is a two-time Metropolitan Opera auditions district winner and regional finalist, a national winner of the Federation of Music Clubs vocal competition, and one of only ten Americans selected to compete in the quadrennial Marian Anderson International Vocal Competition.

Bryce Westervelt, tenor, is sought after as a soloist with opera companies, orchestras and choral groups across the USA, performing in venues such as the Washington National Cathedral, The National Building Museum, The German Embassy, and the Smithsonian.

Adelaide Boedecker, a student at the prestigious Eastman School of Music in Rochester, New York, is one of only a handful of voice students internationally to be accepted into the school’s acclaimed Master of Music program. Boedecker is a graduate of the University of Florida and a lifelong member of the Church of the Redeemer who grew up singing in the church choirs.

Mezzo-soprano Reba Evans studied at the University of Miami.

The Church of the Redeemer is located at 222 S. Palm Ave., in downtown Sarasota. Suggested ticket donation is $15; students $12. Advance ticket purchase is recommended for this highly-anticipated performance; remaining tickets will be available on a first-come, first-serve basis at the door on the day of the performance. To purchase tickets in advance, click on the PayPal option below to buy them online, or call the Redeemer Parish office at 941.955.4263.

Ticket Type

Adults $15.00 USD Students $12.00 USD