Christmas spirit comes alive through choirs

By Amber McBride, Staff Writer

For anyone looking for holiday cheer, the Chamber Singers, Concert and Symphonic Community Choirs, will be singing their hearts out Tuesday Dec. 4.

The concert will be at 7 p.m. at Mid-America Christian University, 3500 S.W. 119th St. Admission is free.

“I think we will have a wonderful evening of holiday music that will help get our audience in the mood for the season,” said Music Professor Ron Staton.

Staton also is hoping to pull in a lot of music lovers. He said the concert is expected to last about an hour.

“Some of the choir members are students and some are community members,” Staton said.

The choirs will perform separately.

Starting out, the Chamber Singers will sing “Sing We Now of Christmas,” arranged by Jay Althouse.

The Concert Choir will start its three songs with, “The First Noel,” the arrangement of Michael Clawson.

Soloist Bill Brewer will perform “Jesus, Oh What a Wonderful Child” arranged by composer Mark Hayes, and “The Birthday of a King” arranged by Lloyd Larson.

Brewer will finish with a recitative, “For Behold, Darkness Shall Cover the Earth,” and an aria, “The People That Walked in Darkness.”

The Symphonic Community Choir will conclude the night with “For Unto Us a Child is Born,” by composer George Frederick Handel, “Bring a Torch, Jeanette, Isabelle,” arrangement by Howard Helvey, and lastly “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen,” by composer Mark Riese.

For more information on the choirs or shows, contact Staton at 682-1611, ext. 7249.