The Lancaster Chorale will present Felix Mendelssohn's "Elijah" on Saturday and Sunday, May 17 and 18, at Gardner Theatre on the campus of Lancaster Country Day School, 725 Hamilton Road, Lancaster. A 30-piece professional orchestra and soloists will join nearly 100 singers to present the oratorio under the direction of Bruce Gerlach.

Concerts will take place on May 17 at 7 p.m. and on May 18 at 3 p.m. No tickets are required, but concertgoers may contribute to a freewill offering.

Baritone Jeffrey Martin will sing the title role of Elijah, joined by his wife, soprano Abigail Martin, mezzo soprano Gwendolyn Bowers, tenor Brenten MeGee and Isaac Warner, a 13-year-old boy soprano from the Mennonite Children's Choir of Lancaster.

Mendelssohn's oratorio tells the story of the powerful Old Testament prophet Elijah in a series of dramatic episodes that feature some of the composer's finest music. An oratorio is similar to an opera, but without the theatrical staging. Since its 1846 premiere, this oratorio has been performed by more amateur choirs than any other oratorio except Handel's famous "Messiah."

Gerlach discovered his love for choral singing and conducting at Penn Manor High School. He later earned a doctorate in choral conducting from Southern Seminary in Louisville, Ky. He is a professor emeritus from College of the Ozarks, near Branson, Mo. He and his wife, Margie, returned to his native Lancaster after he retired.

Jeffrey and Abigail both earned master's degrees in vocal performance from The Peabody Conservatory in Maryland before continuing their graduate work at the University of Minnesota. Jeffrey, director of vocal studies at Lancaster Bible College (LBC), holds a doctorate in vocal performance and has sung leading roles in many operas in the U.S. and Europe.

Abigail teaches voice at LBC and has also performed internationally. She is currently a student of retired Metropolitan Opera star Gwynne Geyer.

Bowers graduated from the Eastman School of Music in Rochester, N.Y., before completing a two-year apprenticeship with the Houston Grand Opera and the University of Houston. She has sung the mezzo soprano role in "Elijah" with the Rochester Symphony. Bowers has also performed the title role of "Carmen" from Bizet's opera in Geneva, Lisbon and Paris.

McGee graduated from LBC with degrees in voice and Bible and holds a master's degree in voice and conducting from West Chester University. He is the performing arts associate at Friends Home in Kennett in Chester County and the tenor section leader for the Brandywine Valley Chorale. He also serves as the music and choir director at Millersville Community United Methodist Church.

Isaac is an eighth-grade student at Lancaster Mennonite School and the son of Carrie and Philip Warner. He was a featured soloist in the Lancaster Symphony Orchestra's performance of Leonard Bernstein's "Chichester Psalms."