‘Messiah’ Sing To Return, Gala Planned
The Rockbridge Choral Society has announced its 50th anniversary season for 20252026.
The season acknowledges 50 years of music making by the Rockbridge Chorus and 25 years of the Rockbridge Youth Chorale. Concerts throughout the 2025-26 season will celebrate the rich history of choral singing by the RCS in the Rockbridge community.
The season is about to launch with a bang, as the Rockbridge Chorus presents “Our Time – Golden Pops,” a lively program featuring music of Sondheim, Gershwin, Porter, the Beatles, and Queen. The concert, on Saturday, Sept. 20, at 7 p.m. at Lexington Presbyterian Church, will be conducted by Scott Williamson, the chorus’ associate director, with the collaboration of chorus artistic director William McCorkle at the piano. Joining the Chorus and the Rockbridge Chamber Singers will be soloists Christine Fairfield, Adam Williams, and David Sorrells. Advance tickets are available online at www.rcs.org and at the door.
The season’s second RCS event will be the Fall Concert of the Rockbridge Youth Chorale, directed by Lacey Lynch and Katelyn Roll, which will take place on Tuesday, Nov. 18, at 7:30 p.m. at Grace Episcopal Church. On Saturday, Nov. 15, at 3 p.m. at Lexington Presbyterian Church, the RCS will reclaim what was a regular event many years ago, a community “Messiah” sing, when singers from all the community can come together to sing the First Part of Handel’s great oratorio and conclude with the well-loved “Hallelujah” Chorus. McCorkle will render the orchestral accompaniment on the organ, and Williamson will conduct.
The annual Holiday Concert by the Rockbridge Chorus, with participation by the Rockbridge Youth Chorale, will take place on Saturday, Dec. 6, at 7:30 p.m. at Lexington Presbyterian Church.
In the new calendar year, 2026, the music will resume on Sunday, Feb. 8, at 3 p.m. at Lexington Presbyterian Church, with a performance by the Rockbridge Chamber Singers. McCorkle will conduct the concert, titled “Magnificence,” which the singers will present with chamber orchestra and soloists. The concert will be devoted to music of J.S. Bach: his spectacular “Magnificat” and three cantatas. The program continues the long RCS practice of almost-yearly oratorio performances with soloists and instrumentalists. Many of the guest musicians for this concert are veterans of more than a decade of collaborations with the Chorus.
The season will continue with the Rockbridge Youth Chorale’s Spring Concert on Tuesday, March 31, at Lexington Presbyterian Church., featuring both the youth and children’s choruses, led by their directors and college student conducting interns.
The conclusion for the anniversary season will be the 50th year anniversary gala concert, to be presented on Saturday, April 18, at Wilson Concert Hall at Washington and Lee University. The event will feature all the member choruses: the Rockbridge Chorus, the Rockbridge Youth Chorale, and the Rockbridge Chamber Singers. The concert will be a retrospective of music from the organization’s rich history, led by the artistic directors, which anticipated participation of conductors and singers from past years. Instrumental collaboration will be provided by duo-pianists Timothy Gaylard and Joshua Harvey.
Said artistic director Mc-Corkle: ‘We are indeed blessed to have enjoyed this impressive long history of singing good music of all styles and periods. That our choral groups continue to thrive and grow is due to the talent and dedication of our members, but also to the enthusiastic support and nurture of many people in the Rockbridge community – our audiences and benefactors. We invite all to join us for our many performances throughout this exciting year, all of which will celebrate our past and present, and inspire us for a bright future.”
Information about the celebratory season can be found on the Rockbridge Choral Society website at www. rcs.,org.
