Presenting 'Messiah'

Presenting 'Messiah'
SHARON, Pa. -- The Shenango Valley Chorale will kick off its 2006 holiday singing season with its presentation of Handel's "Messiah" at 2:30 p.m. Sunday at First Presbyterian Church, 600 E. State St.
The chorale's annual "Messiah" performance will be directed by Edgar S. Groves. Admission is free. Organ accompanist is Janet Stahl.
Next, the Shenango Valley Chorale's Madrigal Singers, dressed in elaborate period costumes, will present an Olde English Feaste at 7 p.m. Nov. 30 and Dec. 1 through 3 at Tara, A Country Inn, in Clark, Pa.
For reservations, call (724) 699-6948 or go online at Shenangovalleychorale.com.
The chorale's Christmas concerts, accompanied by the Shenango Valley Chorale Chamber Orchestra, are at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 8, in Wallace Chapel at Westminster College, New Wilmington, Pa.; and at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 9, in First Presbyterian Church.
Festival of Lights preview
CANFIELD -- The Festival Of Lights in the Valley will open its gate nightly for a preview showing of its displays of Christmas lights from 5:30 to 10 Friday through Wednesday. Families driving through the festival during the preview will receive a free return visit gate pass for another drive-through admission to the presentation over the holidays.
The entrance is at Yellow Duck Park on Route 46 between Canfield and Columbiana.
The official opening of the annual event is Thanksgiving night. The gate admission is 5 per person or 20 per carload, up to seven people, and children under 5 are admitted free. For more information, go to Yellowduckpark.com.
Pianist's performance
GIRARD -- Roman Rudnytsky, a world-renowned pianist, will perform at 7:30 p.m. Friday in Unity Church Centre, 1226 Naylor Lloyd Road, in conjunction with Valley Piano and Organ of Hermitage.
Rudnytsky is a concert pianist of Ukrainian background whose frequent performances take him all over the world. To date, he has performed in more than 80 countries.
Born in New York, he began the study of piano at age 4 and gave his first full recital at 7. He is a graduate of the Juilliard School in New York and also did additional study at the Peabody Conservatory in Baltimore and at master classes in Austria and Italy. Rudnytsky has won prizes in 10 piano competitions, including the International Leventritt Competition in New York, the International J.S. Bach Competition in Washington and the "F busoni" and "A Casagrande" International Piano Competitions in Italy. He has made recordings in the United States, Poland and Australia.