Classic Choral Society to celebrate the season in song
Goshen To celebrate Christmas this year, Orange County Classic Choral Society will present music that blends traditional works with new pieces. Harry Simeone’s “Sing We Now of Christmas” combines traditional Christmas carols, including “Joy to the World” and “Lo How a Rose,” with pieces such as “The Little Drummer Boy” and adds carols from Puerto Rico, Germany, and France. Appearing with the chorus will be the Classic Choral Society Brass Ensemble, which will draw on a different tradition: Benjamin Britten’s “Ceremony of Carols.” This well-loved piece sets several Middle English poems describing the birth of Christ to music Britten wrote in 1942. The simplicity of the words, melded with Britten’s intricate harmonies, creates a transcendent work. A harp soloist will complement the composition. Also featured in the concert are soloists Kristine McMillin and Jodie Weatherstone. In its many appearances over the last 50 years, both in Orange County and at Carnegie Hall, the Classic Choral Society has become celebrated for the quality of its performances and for its eclectic programs, ranging from classic choral works to 20th-century musicals. Artistic director Janiece Kohler, who is also the minister of music at the First Presbyterian Church in Washingtonville, and organist at the Blooming Grove United Church of Christ, chooses pieces from the choral repertoire that both recall the classics and introduces audiences to less-familiar works. The first performance will be held at 4 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 10, at the United Church of Christ, located on Route 94 and Old Dominion Road in Blooming Grove. An encore performance will be presented at 7 p.m. on Saturday, Dec. 16, at the First Presbyterian Church of Goshen, located at 33 Park Place in the village. No tickets are necessary, and all performances are free of charge. A free-will offering will be collected. For more information call 928-6462 or 783-6030; e-mail classicchoral@frontiernet.net; or visit www.classicchoralsociety.org.