BINGHAMTON, NY (WIVT/WBGH) – A Christmas classic is back this year and promises to be bigger and better than ever.

The Binghamton Downtown Singers are performing Handel’s Messiah this Saturday at Sarah Jane Johnson Memorial United Methodist Church in Johnson City.

This will mark the first time that the community chorus has performed the full work since 2019.

The concert was canceled in 2020 and came back in a scaled back version last year due to the pandemic.

Co-President Julie Drozdowski has been performing with the choir for more than a dozen years.

Since then, both her partner and her daughter have joined the group.

“There’s very much a sense of togetherness in that we’re a team and we work together. Some of our singers have been singing for 40 years together. So, there’s definitely a family element and that fellowship element that we have every Sunday and every time we sing.”

The chorus features about 100 singers, without masks this year, accompanied by a full professional orchestra.

Plus, 7 soloists in all, many who have sang with the Downtown Singers over the years.

The concert starts at 7:30 on Saturday.

Tickets are $20 and can be purchased at downtownsingers.org or at the door.