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The first Messiah Festival in Lindsborg, Kansas, was held in 1882 by a group of Swedish immigrants led by Dr. Carl Swensson and his wife Alma. Using the local townspeople, the Swenssons established what is now known as the Bethany Oratorio Society, a group of 400 singers that includes faculty and students from Bethany College and a 50-member symphony orchestra. The annual festival’s program consists primarily of choral works, oratorios, and solo recitals. Lindsborg’s Messiah Festival is often referred to as the “Oberammergau of the Plains.” Discuss
Source: The Free Dictionary