“Classical with a Cause: Handel’s Messiah in Context”, Fairport

It all started with a celebration 200 years in the making. In 1976, Diocesan Festival Chorus conductor Virginia Hogan was asked to prepare a concert dedicated to the nation's Bicentennial. Once she began looking, she found talent all around her, and from the community, she amassed a chorus of 40 voices to ring out in celebration of the nation's founding.

Later that year, a small orchestra joined forces with the group for a traditional performance of Handel's Messiah, and the ensemble that would become Genesee Valley Orchestra and Chorus was officially born. Their ranks soon swelled to more than 100 singing members and one quiet one who's allowed to just wave a stick around. Simultaneously, their repertoire expanded. It now includes not just hymns and oratorios but also spirituals, show tunes, and traditional folk songs.