SBVC Partners with High Schools to Perform Handel’s “Messiah”

San Bernardino >> For regular fans of Voci Soli, San Bernardino Valley College’s advanced choral ensemble, there may not be too much surprise at the great range of vocal talent that performs the most beautiful and difficult vocal pieces in area concert halls every winter. One thing they may have found surprising this time around, however, was the addition of students from area high schools into the mix. To bring George Frideric Handel’s “Messiah” to life, the San Bernardino Valley College music department teamed up its advanced ensemble and concert choir with high school students from San Bernardino High School and Granite Hills High School. Directed by Matie Scully, SBVC professor and chair of performing arts, each singer received individualized lessons prior to the performance. “This ensures that each singer can not only sing in a choir but on their own,” Scully said. The concert was attended by more than 100 community members, brought to SBVC’s historic campus from all over the Inland region and many in the audience were alumni. “It was a great concert filled with festive vibes,” said Gloria Posada, a student from California State University, San Bernardino and SBVC alumna. “They left the audience begging for an encore.”