Handel’s Messiah has given joy for over 270 years to audiences worldwide. The Rockford Choral Union adds to this tradition with over 70 years of presenting this oratorio.
Each year, this gift to the community fills audiences with emotion for both the beauty of the piece and the pride of hearing friends and colleagues from the community
bring this glorious work to life.
Over 190 RCU performances and going strong!
Today, musicians from over sixty area churches and schools from as far away as Janesville, Lena, Dixon, Rochelle,
DeKalb, the Chicago suburbs, Belvidere, Roscoe, Beloit, Rockton and all across the Rockford area come to
participate in this annual, choral event.
Conductor
Michael Beert is now in his fifth year as the music director of the Rockford Choral Union. Michael has been involved as cellist with the Choral Union since 1985 and has become its seventh conductor after the retirement of Nat Bauer in 2017.
Michael has been playing cello for over 50 years. He has played with the Rockford Symphony Orchestra for over 25 years and has been Principal Cello for the past eleven seasons.
His conducting experiences include guest appearances with the Illinois Philharmonic, the Illinois Valley Philharmonic, the music director of the Rockford Symphony Youth Orchestra for ten years and the conductor of the Rock Valley College and Community Orchestra and the Park District’s Summer Pops Orchestra. Mike has been a past recipient of the Mendelssohn Performing Arts Center’s “Starr of Excellence Award”.
Mike has his Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Cello Performance from Roosevelt University and has extensive post-graduate courses in String Pedagogy, Cello and Bass, Music History/Literature and Conducting from Northern Illinois University and the University of Memphis. He studied conducting with Steven Squires from NIU and Roosevelt University.
Mike is recently retired as Professor of Music and Academic Chair of Music and Art at Rock Valley College. He is married to Concertmistress Rachel Handlin, and they have a daughter, Aria, who is a budding violinist and vocalist.
Rockford Choral Union
Informational Brochure
Please click on the link below to view or download our brochure.
Singers of all ages commit to six Sunday afternoon rehearsals in October and November and two concerts over the Thanksgiving weekend to perform Handel’s classical, hallowed Messiah. Many patrons start their Christmas holiday season with this true Christmas message – the life of Christ from the Cradle to the Cross, and, ultimately, to the Crown.
New members are always welcome. Please contact us for more information.
My mother, grandfather and I started singing with the Rockford Choral Union when I was just 11 years old. Experiencing this beautiful piece of music with my family and being surrounded by my community at such a young age nurtured my love of classical music.
This past year I had the opportunity to be the alto soloist in Boston Conservatory Chorale’s performance of Handel’s Messiah. I owe my knowledge and love of the piece entirely to my experience with RCU.
Because of the fine arts community in Rockford and RCU, I am following my dream of becoming a classical singer at Boston Conservatory.