FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Get Ready For The Largest Hampton Roads Messiah Sing-Along

VIRGINIA BEACH, VA — Symphonicity is pleased to announce details of a Hampton Roads’ holiday favorite: The free annual Messiah Sing-Along. The 43rd anniversary offering will take place at the Sandler Center at 8 PM on Tuesday, December 23, featuring four outstanding local soloists. For those unable to attend, the event will be also “live-streamed” through Symphonicity’s Facebook page. Tickets are not required but registration and donations are appreciated at their website: symphonicity.org

"A performance unlike anything I have ever led!"

Maestro Daniel W. Boothe

Unlike typical performances of the Messiah, Symphonicity invites the entire audience to join in the singing. The audience performs choral sections of the Christmas portion of the Messiah, while four professional soloists sing the solo arias and recitatives. The orchestra expands to include alumni who return for this special occasion.

"The Symphonicity Messiah Sing-Along is a performance unlike anything I have ever led throughout my career,” said Maestro Daniel W. Boothe, music director and conductor of Symphonicity, Virginia Beach’s award-winning community orchestra. “The sound of hundreds of community singers from the concert hall seats joined with the orchestra on stage makes an immersive 360-degree experience of sound and spirit that is quite unforgettable."

Symphonicity Messiah Sing-Along at the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts

LYLE EESLEY PHOTOGRAPHY

Symphonicity always ensures a stellar vocal lineup for the Messiah Sing-Along by hiring four professional singers from the region. This year's featured artists are:

Soprano Mary Reins began her vocal journey under the tutelage of the All Saints’ Episcopal Church choir and the Virginia Children’s Chorus. After enrolling in the Governor’s School for the Arts, she now studies with Nicole Cabell at the Eastman School of Music. She has been featured in prior collaborations with the Isle of Wight Arts League, the Virginia Beach's Housing Resource Center and the Virginia Opera.
Mezzo soprano Bonnie Lambert-Baxter has served as the Director of Bell Choirs and Children's Choir at First Presbyterian Church in Virginia Beach. She has sung with the Virginia Chorale, Symphonicity, the Williamsburg Symphonia, and Virginia Musical Theater. She has served as soprano/alto soloist at Larchmont United Methodist Church, Norfolk, First Presbyterian Church, Virginia Beach, First Presbyterian Church, Williamsburg, Ohef Sholom Temple, Norfolk, and as Director of Music at First Christian Church, Norfolk.
Tenor Addison Maldonado Mercado is a senior vocal performance major from the studio of Dr. Larry Giddens. He is from Manassas, Virginia, and is a F. Ludwig Diehn Vocal Scholar. An active competitor at the annual National Association of Teachers of Singing competition, Addison recently placed first in the state for the Musical Theatre category, and earned Honors designation for the Classical category. He also performed as Tenor soloist for the 2024 DSOM Messiah performance and was featured with the U.S. Army Band for seven performances at the 2025 International Tattoo.

Baritone/Bass Carter Campbell is a versatile music educator and performer in Hampton Roads. Professionally he has appeared with the Virginia Chorale, the Norfolk Chamber Consort, and Opera in Williamsburg for their production of Gluck's Orfeo ed Euridice. He is currently the orchestra director at Princess Anne High School in Virginia Beach, in addition to teaching fifth grade strings at two Virginia Beach elementary schools. He is also active as an organist and chorister at St. Benedict's Catholic Church in Chesapeake.

Dr. Nancy Klein, Symphonicity's chorus master and professor and chair of Diehn School of Music at Old Dominion University, plays a crucial role leading the audience members in vocal warm-ups and guiding them through hymns and choruses during the performance.

As a gift to the community, Symphonicity's musicians volunteer their time and talent for this annual tradition. Audience members are encouraged to make donations to support the orchestra and help cover expenses.

For a behind-the-scenes look at the Messiah Sing-Along, watch this brief documentary on YouTube.

Symphonicity's Season Celebrating America's 250th Will Continue After the Messiah!

January 11, 2026: "It's a Jazz Orchestra, Charlie Brown!" (Children's Concert)
February 15, 2026: “Come Sunday! A Spiritual Salute” featuring over 100 singers
March 22, 2026: “The B-Sides: Undiscovered Gems” with Andrea Boothe, soprano
April 12, 2026: “America the Beautiful” with Jeff Midkiff, mandolin

TICKETS: Messiah Sing-Along tickets are not required but registration on their website with donations is encouraged. Single tickets for the rest of the season are also available for purchase at the Sandler Center or for best prices on the Symphonicity website starting at $29. LIVE-STREAM tickets are also available for $15 on the Symphonicity website.

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About Symphonicity

Symphonicity, the symphony orchestra of Virginia Beach, was founded in 1981 by music director David S. Kunkel and is composed of more than 200 talented musicians from the local community. As a proud resident member of the Sandler Center for the Performing Arts, the orchestra brings together professional musicians, music educators, and passionate amateurs who collectively contribute more than 12,000 hours each year to present high-quality, innovative, and dynamic symphonic experiences. These musicians represent a wide range of backgrounds, including medicine, education, business, religious service, the military, homemaking, and engineering, and they perform purely for the love of music. To learn more and to find out how you can get involved, visit symphonicity.org.

Media Contact:

Name: Nikki Bergman

Title: Executive Director

Office: 757-671-8611

Email: office@symphonicity.org