Community Choir of Sisters begins fall term

The Community Choir of Sisters has begun preparing for its annual Christmas concert. Choir Director George Larson proudly points out that the organization is dedicated to providing community entertainment and a performance venue for Sisters area vocalists. The choir has been a fixture in Sisters for more than 15 years.

This is Larson's eighth year as director, and he's looking forward to the new season and to recruiting new members.

"All are welcome," Larson said. "Advanced musical training is not required. Some of our members have a musical background, and others have almost none. The only real requirements are a love of singing and willingness to make a time commitment."

The time commitment is two hours on Monday evenings at 7 p.m. The Episcopal Church of the Transfiguration provides the practice and performance site, and Larson thanked the church for making the site available to the community. Current members range in age from 15 to ... uh... really old.

When asked to describe this year's musical selections, Larson said, "Damn good!" Then he laughed and added, "Actually, it's hard to characterize. It's an eclectic mix of classical, traditional, and popular holiday music. This is a combination of pieces that will be fun to learn and perform."

Examples range from Jackson Berkey's "Magnificat" to a rollicking arrangement of "The Twelve Days of Christmas." One piece that may not be familiar to concertgoers is the hauntingly beautiful "From an Irish Cabin" by Dale Wood.

Larson emphasized that additional singers in all the vocal sections are welcome. Tenors and basses are always in demand; and this term, more sopranos would be especially helpful.

"Hopefully, we'll have some new additions to the group," Larson said.

The dates for the upcoming Christmas concert are set for Saturday evening, December 20, and Sunday afternoon, December 21. Mark your calendars now and expect to be ushered into Christmas week with a very special performance by the Sisters vocalists. Once again this year, the choir accompanist is Rebecca Smith.

For more information contact Larson at 388-4895.