STORY AND PHOTOS BY KAREN BOSSICK

Georg Fredric Handel first staged his “Messiah” in 1742, giving the proceeds to help pay off prisoners debts, the Mercer’s Hospital and the Charitable Infirmary.

And it met with great acclaim, the “Dublin News-Letter” describing the oratorio as “far surpassing anything of that Nature which has been performed in this or any other kingdom.”

The Sun Valley Hallelujah Chorus will perform selections from that “Messiah” during a free performance at 5:30 p.m. Friday, Dec. 22, at the Presbyterian Church of the Big Wood in Ketchum.

The Silhouette String Ensemble from Boise will accompany the chorus, along with Hailey trumpeter  Dean Comley, who performs with the Wood River Orchestra.

Director Patty Parsons-Tewson has selected four soloists, including Robert Newman, who used to perform with “Forever Plaid;” tenor Jonathan Hill of Opera Idaho, and soprano Joyce E. Greene.

The fourth, mezzo-soprano Anna Majernikova, recently performed as part of St. Thomas Episcopal Church’s fall concert series.

She started her vocal study at the Conservatory of Music in her home town of Bratislava, Slovakia. Later she earned an “Interpretation of the Musical Song” certificate at the Academy of Music and Dramatic Arts in Bratislava.

After completing a Maters of Music in vocal Performance, she became an adjunct voice faculty member at Boise State University where she taught private voice lessons to music majors and musical theatre students for a couple of years.

In the summer of 2013 she became an Opera Idaho resident company artist and a year later she performed the role of Mercedes in Opera Idaho’s “Carmen.” Since, she has performed in “Rigoletto” and “Eugene Onegin,” as well.

She currently teaches private voice lessons in Sun Valley, as well as at the Summer Music Institute in Sun Valley.

DID YOU KNOW?

Anna Majernikova also offers “yoga for singers” classes.