The Lebanon County Choral Society will launch its 2025-2026 season with open rehearsals on Monday, September 8, at St. Luke’s Episcopal Church, 22 S. 6th Street, Lebanon. This is a new rehearsal location for the organization. The Youth Chorus, under the direction of Gabrielle Umholtz, will rehearse from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m., while the Adult Chorus, under the direction of Sean Hackett, will rehearse from 7:30 p.m. to 9:15 p.m.
“We’re excited to start rehearsing in our new venue,” said Hackett, who also serves as the artistic director of the society as a whole. “St. Luke’s has generously hosted our free music day camps and some of our concerts, so we know them to be a welcoming community who values music.”
The choral society traditionally performs selections from Handel’s Messiah every five years but missed their 2020 season due to the COVID pandemic. To make up for this, the Adult Chorus will perform the Messiah in its entirety, spread across concerts in December 2025 and May 2026. Singers are invited to join the ensemble for one or both seasons. The December 14 concert will take place at Friedens Lutheran Church in Myerstown, while the May 17 concert will be held at Annville Church of the Brethren.
“Performing this piece every five years is written into our bylaws, and many of our longstanding members count their membership in terms of how many Messiah seasons they’ve had,” said Hackett. “It’s a way to make sure we never stray far from our original purpose, which is bringing quality choral performances of historically important works to Lebanon County.”
Originally founded in 1889, the Lebanon County Choral Society was reorganized in 1974. In the past decades they have expanded their mission to include a youth chorus, a free music day camp, and a young conductors’ program, all while continuing and enhancing the legacy of excellent choral performances by the adult chorus, the foundation of the organization. While centered in Lebanon County, the group includes singers from as far as Robesonia, Mt. Gretna, Palmyra, and Hershey.
Readers interested in joining the society for the season are invited to email managementLCCS@gmail.com or visit www.LCCSmusic.org for more information.
