The Morton Community Chorus, of Morton, IL, has been performing Handel's Messiah annually for many, many years. The pictures above are from the November 2024 performance. Although, "Morton" is in the name, it is perhaps a misnomer, as people from all over Central Illinois regularly participate in the choir and orchestra. See our Memories of 2024 page for more pictures and a video of our last performance. We are looking forward to presenting this masterwork again on November 23, 2025.
WCBU FM Peoria Public Radio and Arts Partners of Central Illinois radio program "Out And About" interviewed Phil Witzig regarding Messiah 2015. Although about a past performance, it nonetheless has some interesting dialog regarding the production in general. Listen here.
WBNH Radio, 88.5 FM, produced a spot which is now playing on air. Listen to it here. Like and share our Facebook page! Follow us on Instagram. A copy of our promotional poster is here. To receive an email reminder about our concert, email [email protected].
WCBU FM Peoria Public Radio and Arts Partners of Central Illinois radio program "Out And About" interviewed Phil Witzig regarding Messiah 2015. Although about a past performance, it nonetheless has some interesting dialog regarding the production in general. Listen here.
WBNH Radio, 88.5 FM, produced a spot which is now playing on air. Listen to it here. Like and share our Facebook page! Follow us on Instagram. A copy of our promotional poster is here. To receive an email reminder about our concert, email [email protected].
Meet Our Distinguished 2025 Soloists:
Larissa Steffen, Soprano: Larissa was born and raised in Morton where she developed a love for singing while watching and listening to the many choir programs directed by her father, Phil Witzig. She had many opportunities to develop and use her voice, participating in ensembles, choirs, and the robust a cappella congregational singing so much a part of the Apostolic Christian church. Larissa is also a product of the Morton School District music program. She played violin, as well as sang in various choirs, including Madrigals, and was a two-time Illinois Music Educators All-State Chorus member. The late Heidi White, beloved Jr. High chorus teacher, was a tremendous inspiration to and influence on her musical education. Larissa went on to study music education at Illinois Wesleyan, with voice as her primary instrument. At Wesleyan, she studied vocal technique with the late Dr. Sammy Scifres. Before finishing her degree, Larissa decided to switch “majors,” focusing on marriage, family, and nursing. She continues to live in Morton with her husband, Justin, and six children. More recently, she has enjoyed singing with the Peoria Area Civic Chorale and in the local production of Ruth the Musical, directed by Dave Getz. She shares her passion for choral music with her students in the Peoria Cooperative Academy's Joyful Messengers choir. Singing in the chorus of Messiah is a joy each year, but she is thrilled to be back as a soloist and gives all the glory to God!
Rebecca Crumrine, Mezzo Soprano: Rebecca is a classically trained mezzo-soprano who lives in Eureka, Illinois with her husband and their 6-year-old son. She studied voice with Shirley Salazar at Bradley University where she received her Bachelor’s of Music in Vocal Performance in 2014. Rebecca then continued her studies with Debra Austin at Illinois State University and received her Master’s of Music in Vocal Performance in 2016. A few favorite roles of Rebecca’s have included Mercedes in Carmen, the Witch in Hansel and Gretel, Anna Maurrant in Street Scene, and mezzo-soprano soloist in Dream of Gerontious. Locally, Rebecca has been the alto soloist for Handel’s Messiah in Peoria and Normal in the past, and she is excited to be joining the Morton Community Chorus & Orchestra for their performance!
Jeffrey Brich, Tenor: Jeffrey has distinguished himself in a broad spectrum of literature, performing with versatility and ease in orchestral, opera and recital venues. His strong creative service to the Cedar Valley and the University of Northern Iowa School of Music is marked by memorable performances with the UNI Lyric Theater, the Faculty Chamber Music Series, Iowa Composer’s Forum, and the Cedar Valley Chamber Music Festival. Professionally, he has performed roughly twenty roles in opera and oratorio, including frequent performances of Handel’s Messiah, Mendlessohn’s Elijah and Mozart’s Requiem, singing with orchestras in Indianapolis, Milwaukee, Peoria, and Mendocino, CA, appearing with the Mendocino Music Festival as a soloist in Beethoven’s Symphony No. 9. You can enjoy Jeffrey on professional recordings of Three Songs by contemporary composer Jerermy Beck, Zelenka’s Missa Omnium Sanctorum with Lyra Baroque Orchestra and the Grinnell Singers, and a live recording of the Requiem by Duruflé at the Basilica of St. Mary in Minneapolis. As a tenor in residence, Jeffrey performed with David Aiken Production’s national tour of Amahl and the Night Visitors, and later with the Indianapolis Opera Touring Ensemble. Well known to Iowa audiences, he has appeared with orchestras in Dubuque, Davenport, Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Des Moines, and often with the Waterloo-Cedar Falls Symphony Orchestra in events ranging from Holiday Pops to a 9/11 Remembrance Concert. Jeffrey is currently in his 30th year as an instructor of Voice, first at Wartburg College and now at the University of Northern Iowa School of Music, where he began teaching in 2004. He holds degrees from the University of Iowa (B.M.) and the University of Northern Iowa (M.M.) and has earned several competitive honors. He resides in Cedar Falls, Iowa with his wife, Dr. Jean McDonald.
Xiaoyi Zha, Baritone: Baritone Xiaoyi Zha was born into a musical family, studying voice and piano with his father before pursuing professional vocal training. He has made appearances in a variety of theatrical productions and performed roles such as Dr. Bartolo in Le nozze di Figaro, Belcore in Donizetti’s L’elisir d’amore, Marcello in La bohème, Masetto in Don Giovanni, Somarone in Berlioz’s Beatrice and Benedict, Frank in Strauss’ Die Fledermaus, Melchior in Menotti’s Amahl and the Night Visitors, Baron Zeta and Kromow in The Merry Widow, Sylvano in Cavalli’s La Calisto and Maestro Spinellocchio in Puccini’s Gianni Schicchi. He also appears as the assistant director for the Lyric Theater @ Illinois’s production of Le nozze di Figaro. Xiaoyi has had the privilege of collaborating with some of the world’s most acclaimed musicians and directors, including Frederica von Stade, Giuseppe Finzi, Mark Morash, Claire Levacher, Matthias Kuntzsch, Christopher Gillett, Richard Harrel, and Heather Mathews, bringing a rich depth of artistic insight and experience to every performance. Zha earned his Doctor of Musical Arts in Vocal Performance and Literature under the mentorship of Grammy Award-winning baritone Nathan Gunn at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. He holds a Master of Music from the San Francisco Conservatory of Music and a Bachelor of Arts from Capital Normal University in Beijing. His principal coaches include Timothy Bach, Julie Gunn, Leroy Kromm, Darryl Cooper, and Michael Tilley.
Peter Wykert, Organ: Peter Wykert, Piano/Organ: Peter is Cantor at Trinity Lutheran Church in Peoria. As Cantor, he serves as organist, conducts the adult choir, youth choir, handbells, and brass, and plans all worship services. He also composes and arranges music for Trinity’s ensembles and coordinates the livestream worship services. Outside of Trinity, he serves Concordia Lutheran School as accompanist, directs the German American Central Society Choirs, and freelances as organist, most recently with ISU’s Wind Symphony and Concert Choir. He holds a Bachelor of Music degree from Concordia University Chicago and has earned certificates in the curriculums First Steps in Music and Conversational Solfège.
Help Support our Choir
Our annual concerts are held at Grace Church in Morton. Although Grace Church graciously allows us to use their beautiful sanctuary, our annual productions of Messiah are community events, performed by the Morton Community Choir and Orchestra. The concerts are free, and no tickets are required. The majority of our support is received from concertgoers through a free-will offering at the doors. Even if you missed this year's concert, if you have a passion to help this kind of event continue, you can still give online using the Donate button above. Money received throughout the year is put toward the following year's concert. (Online donations are handled for us through the Morton Fine Arts Association who directs 100% of donations through the donate button to us.) We also want to thank the following business sponsors for their help in underwriting our 2024 concert:
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Interested in Singing With Us?
There is nothing quite as thrilling as singing this masterpiece of music literature in a wonderful space with full choir, orchestra, and organ. If you have interest in this type of music, and the voice and talent to sing it, contact us at [email protected] to discuss the possibility of joining us!
From Morton to Carnegie Hall
2023 was a special year for the Morton Community Chorus! We were invited to participate in the Carnegie Hall Messiah concert on Sunday, November 26, 2023 in New York City! On Thanksgiving day, 30 members of our choir flew to New York City to rehearse with and perform Messiah on one of world's most famous concert halls. We were vetted through a confidential audition process in which the organizers reviewed past videos of us posted online. We joined others from around the world in a choir of 200 singing Messiah on the stage of historic Carnegie Hall! It was certainly a memorable trip. Listen to the interview with Phil Witzig after the trip on WPEO radio.