Longtime Guadalajara-area resident Paul Fisher, newly at the helm of a small, English-speaking congregation, English Fellowship, has set his sights on an ambitious choral performance for early December, which will take advantage of some of his own talents and those of the choir of his flock’s mother church, the large, Spanish-speaking Rey de Reyes Presbyterian.
And Fisher is looking for more voices, especially those of native English speakers, to beef up the impressive, 50-voice Rey de Reyes choir, which is on loan to him.
“We’re not doing all of Handel’s ‘Messiah,’” he emphasized. “That would be over three hours. We’re doing about a third of it,” including some of the best-loved choruses and solos, for example “For unto us a child is born,” “All we like sheep have gone astray” and the “Hallelujah!” chorus.
“We’re practicing Tuesday evenings from 7:30 to 9:30,” he said.
“I’d be delighted to have men, women, young people – of all voices, soprano, alto, tenor and bass. The practices are going well. The direction is primarily in Spanish, but it’d be great to have some native speakers of English to help with pronunciation. If you can carry a tune, if you can sing with a robust voice, you’re welcome. Reading music isn’t a requirement. A passion for singing is a plus. Ideally, I’d like the choir to be 80 voices and there are slots open for soloists.”
Any interested singers can simply show up for practice, e-mail him in advance at This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. or phone him at 333-955-3049 (cel).
Fisher is not yet sure if there will be accompaniment by a string quartet and piano or a recorded orchestral track. “If it’s recorded, it’s very nice,” he emphasized.
The program dates planned are Thursday, Friday and Saturday, December 6, 7 and 8, with five concerts scheduled on those days. The location will be Rey de Reyes new church at Prolongacion Avenida Inglaterra 1400 in Zapopan. “It has great acoustics,” Fisher noted.
“But that’s getting ahead of ourselves. The practices are at English Fellowship of Guadalajara, right behind Dalton Toyota near the intersection of Patria and Vallarta. 5184-S Gabrielle D’annuncio in Zapopan.
“There’s no cost to participate,” Fisher emphasized.