“Messiah” production comes to Holladay for 25th year

By Kelly Cannon | [email protected]

Holladay

For the past 25 years, residents of Holladay have celebrated the start of the Christmas season with a production of “Highlights of the Messiah.” Sponsored by the Salt Lake Holladay Stake of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and the Holladay Community Messiah Foundation and in cooperation with the Holladay Interfaith Council, singers and musicians bring selected portion of George Frederic Handel’s “Messiah” to life. 

This year’s performance will be at 7 p.m. on Nov. 27 at Olympus High School Performing Arts Center. The public is invited to the event. Tickets are free and children over eight are welcome. 

According to Dave Robertson, a representative of the Holladay Community Messiah Foundation, Jack Aston will be returning as conductor of the performance. 

“Ashton is a well-known local musician and teacher, as well as the former music department chair at Olympus High School,” Robertson said. “Elizabeth Warner will join Ashton as choral director.”

Soloists will include tenor Scott Miller, a long-time Holladay resident and frequent soloist with the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, as well as soprano Tricia Swanson, who has traveled across Utah for the past 20 years performing in schools with ARTS Inc. Mezzo soprano Demaree Clayson Brown will also be featured. Brown has taught high school and middle school choir in Nevada, Utah, Nebraska and New Mexico. The final vocal soloist is bass Michael Judd Sheranian, a musician with ties to Skyline High School. He has a bachelor’s degree in both violin and vocal performance. 

Jazz trumpeter Bob Taylor will also be a featured soloist. Taylor is an author, composer, educator and clinician. 

The Holladay Community Messiah Foundation was formed in 2014 as a not-for-profit organization with the goal of providing a tax-exempt vehicle for individuals and organizations to help fund the annual “Messiah” presentation. 

“Through the generous contributions of the community, the foundation enabled the use of the Olympus High School facility this year and hopes to continue to do so year after year,” Robertson said. “Anyone desiring to make a tax-deductible contribution to support the ‘Messiah Highlights’ concert may send a check to the Holladay Community Messiah Foundation, 4524 S. Butternut Rd. Holladay, Utah 84117. Please make check payable to Holladay Community Messiah Foundation.”

For more information about the foundation and the upcoming production, visit facebook.com/HolladayMessiah.