The Northern Neck Orchestra is seeking to create a community chorus to participate in a reinvention of Handel’s “Messiah” called “Too Hot to Handel: A Gospel Messiah.” A performance is slated for next year, on Saturday, May 30, at the Lancaster Middle School Theater in Kilmarnock.

The orchestra will host a welcome meeting to acquaint the community with “Too Hot to Handel” from 3-5 p.m. on Sunday, Aug. 4, at Mt. Olive Baptist Church, 6749 Jessie Dupont Memorial Highway, Wicomico Church. The meeting will feature a discussion led by Repper, who also will teach the “Hallelujah Chorus” to those in attendance.

The new rendition of the Messiah, which unites classical music with gospel harmony, jazz improvisation and Latin rhythms, will showcase a chorus of people from all ages, races and backgrounds, said Michael Repper, the orchestra’s music director and conductor.

“We want to assemble a chorus of 60 to 70 people who repres...