Taylor Prosper sings “Every Valley” by G.F. Handel during the annual Tri-Lakes Community Messiah Sing, in December 2022, which returned to First United Methodist Church in Saranac Lake last year after a two-year pandemic-related pause. This year’s community Messiah sing is Sunday, Dec. 17 at St. Eustace Episcopal Church in Lake Placid. (Enterprise photo — Lauren Yates)

LAKE PLACID — The annual Tri-Lakes Community Messiah Sing, now in its 17th year, will return to Lake Placid at 3 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 17

Professional and amateur musicians will lend their talents, time and energy to the performance of the Christmas part of G.F. Handel’s famous oratorio “The Messiah.”

The audience is welcome to sing along in the choruses ending with the famous Hallelujah Chorus or to just relax and listen.

The event rotates between the towns of Tupper Lake, Saranac Lake and Lake Placid and will be hosted this year by St. Eustace Episcopal Church on Main Street, Lake Placid as a fundraiser for the local Ecumenical Food Pantry. Admission is free, but donations for the food pantry are greatly welcome.

Well-known area musicians will donate their time and perform: Jennifer Moore — a much sought after conductor, musician, pianist, co-founder of Piano By Nature and school music educator — will be the artistic director and conductor this Sunday. Elizabeth Cordes, well known beyond the local music scene as an outstanding piano accompanist, will be at the piano. Cordes is also the middle and high school vocal music director in Tupper Lake and advisor to the Red and Black Players. Violinist Elaine Dewar will be the solo violinist and the principal of the 25 head orchestra. Keith Kogut, high school band director in Saranac Lake, will play solo trumpet. Taylor Prosper, Lake Placid’s middle and high school vocal music director, will sing the Tenor solos, while Emileigh Kukuvka, Lake Placid’s middle and high school band director, will play flute in the orchestra. Valerie Abraham-Rogers will sing the Alto solos, Thomas Stork all Bass parts and two young and upcoming talents, Alanna Kogut and Annachristi Cordes, will share the soprano arias.