New conductor to lead choral
Isaac Holmes will lead his first concert of the season with the Columbia County Choral Society during the group's Christmas concert Friday at First Baptist Church in Evans.
Holmes, who is an assistant professor of music at Paine College where he teaches voice, was named conductor of the Columbia County Choral Society in August. Holmes also is the society's artistic director.
He holds a Master of Arts degree in vocal performance from the University of Michigan and last performed with the Columbia County Choral Society as the baritone soloist in Dubois' Seven Last Words of Christ.
Among the songs in this week's Christmas concert is O Come, O Come Emmanuel, from which the program gets its name. Jack Kearns, executive director of the society's board of directors, said the varied program is sure to be enjoyable for all.
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"We are going to perform a Christmas cantata by composer Daniel Pinkham and The Many Moods of Christmas, an arrangement of well-known carols," he said.
The Columbia County Choral Society entertained the crowd with Christmas carols last year during the Christmas tree-lighting ceremony.
Photo by Jim Blaylock
The 7:30 p.m. program lasts about an hour. Tickets are $8 for adults and $6 for seniors and students, and are available from choral society members and at the door of the event. Philip Hedgecoth, minister of music at First Baptist Church, Evans, will be the accompanist.
"We don't always do a Christmas concert," Kearns said. "We have been alternating the program from patriotic to Christmas the past couple of years."
The choral society was formed in 1997 with a core group of 25 members. Today, the society boasts a membership of varied professions, ages and backgrounds.
"This is a community chorus - No. 1," Kearns said. "It is not a church choir, and therefore we are trying to challenge our members with a variety of music, music they wouldn't otherwise get in the church choir. And we also try to present music that is both educational and entertaining for residents of Columbia County and the area."
The choral society presents a special Christmas program for the residents of Brandon Wilde each year, and usually hears from residents that the concert "kicks off their holiday season," Kearns said.