ITT BENA, Miss. — The Mississippi Valley State University Choir and Valley Singers are encouraging the community to embrace the holiday spirit with their sixth annual Christmas concert.
Themed, “O Holy Night”, the event will be hosted at 7 p.m. Thursday, Nov. 30, at First Presbyterian Church, located at 300 Main St. in Greenwood.
The concert is free and open to the general public.
This year’s line-up will include Greenville High School’s Voices of Liberation and the Cordova High School Concert Singers of Cordova, Tenn.
MVSU’s 73-member university choir and Valley Singers are under the direction of Dr. John Weiss.
Greenville High’s choir has 38 voices, and Cordova’s choir features 57-voices.
According to Weiss, the program will include a wide variety of musical styles, including motets, music from oratorios, contemporary anthem literature and outstanding gospel arrangements.
“This Christmas choral tradition is patterned after the Festival of Nine Lessons and Carols, a Christian worship service traditionally held at Christmas time,” Weiss said. The story of the fall of humanity, the promise of the Messiah and the birth of Jesus is told in nine short Bible readings interspersed with the singing of Christmas carols, hymns, and choir music.”
Weiss believes the annual concert is a way to encourage unity among different communities.
“The readers for the concert are as diverse as they are distinguished and I am grateful to them,” he said. I am also beholden to First Presbyterian Church and its Minister of Music, Mr. Ray Smithee. Their assistance and participation speak volumes about the power of music and the meaning of Christmas.”
For questions or more information, contact MVSU’s Fine Arts Department at (662) 254-3482.