Otero College Community Choir Presents Superb Songs of the Season Dec 9, 2024

Description: Join the People of Southeast Colorado for a Christmas Concert with The Otero College Community Choir on December 9, 2024 at the First Church of La Junta...

Otero College Community Choir to present “Superb Songs of the Season” on Dec. 9, 7:00 pm. New Venue

Dean Rees, Otero College Choir Director, needed some truly outstanding arrangements for this semester’s incarnation of the Choir. The group abounds with talented singers. So Mr. Rees turned to his favorite musical distributer and searched their “basic library” to choose some of the best arrangements available for a community choir. Therein is the genesis of this semesters’ “Superb Songs of the Season” concert, featuring high quality arrangements of seasonal favorites.

“Superb Songs of the Season” will take place on Monday, December 9, at 7:00 pm in a new venue. Because the college’s Humanities Center is currently being remodeled, this holiday concert will be held at the First Church of La Junta at 111 E. 20th Street, i.e. the corner of 20th and Raton. Admission is free.

The concert is chock full of gorgeous music beautifully arranged by some of the best arrangers working today. “Do You Hear What I Hear?” begins with a peaceful rocking sound and becomes more regal and grand as it goes. Its piano accompaniment is magnificently played by the choir’s talented accompanist, Mary Belew.  Then Mr. Rees joins Mrs. Belew in playing a rhythmically-charged  four-handed piano accompaniment as the choir joyously sings “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”.  Donna Cannon will conduct that carol. Next comes a shimmering arrangement of  “O Little Town of Bethlehem”  that includes violinist Jessica Bay playing an obligatto countermelody with the singers. The song evokes a truly deep sense of peacefulness. Songs that fill out the program: the clever “Variations on Fa-La-La” featuring hilarious interpolations of familiar orchestral pieces; “What Child is This?”, a carol based upon the tune of “Greensleeves” that first appeared in the late 16th century; Leroy Anderson’s ever popular “Sleigh Ride”; “Somewhere in My Memory”, a nostalgic song written by John Williams for the soundtrack of the movie Home Alone; a gospel inflected “Beautiful Star of Bethlehem”; “Make Me an Instrument of Thy Peace”, sung as a tribute to and wish for that elusive world where all people live in harmony; and finally the familiar “Feliz Navidad”, a huge hit for singer Jose Feliciano that ends the program in a spirit of celebration. Aavalajn Wiggins, an outstanding percussionist, travels from Pueblo to lay down the Latin sound.

A couple of small groups will perform during the evening. Heather Pidcock-Reed, Kate Pruyn, Mike Shima, and Tim Austin will sing a syncopated version of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen”; Veronica Leitner and Lynne Tabb will add a rhythm part. Another group will sing “Amen! Go Tell It On the Mountain”, a mash-up of the Spiritual and the hymn. Dean Rees will round out the evening’s music with a piano solo entitled “A Jolly Jingle”.

Mr. Rees, Mrs. Belew, and the Otero College Choir invite you to celebrate the holidays with “Superb Songs of the Season!”

Members of the Otero College Community Choir: Dan Austin, Tim Austin, Donna Cannon, Susan Chase, Ezra Collins, Zadok Collins, Caitlyn Dieckman, Grant Elliot, Lynda England, Rebecca Grantham, Dan Haddan, Judy Hensley, Nancy Jenniges, Audrey Leitner, Janell Lorenzo-Romero, Heidi Palmer, Heather Pidcock-Reed, Kate Pruyn, Danny Romero, Demian Ryder, Kaydence Salazar, Tori Schneider, Mike Shima, Kelly Jo Smith, Lynne Tabb, Deborah West. Mary Belew, accompanist.

The First Church of La Junta is Located at 111 E. 20th St. La Junta, CO 81050

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