The Greenbrier Valley Chorale’s annual Christmas Concert will take place on Sunday, Dec. 9, at 3 p.m. at Carnegie Hall in Lewisburg. This year’s performance will feature carols and songs whose texts, melodies and styles are rooted in early American holiday expression.
The centerpiece of the program will be carols arranged by West Virginia native Tim Sharp, executive director of the American Choral Directors Association. With music from the 17th, 18th, 19th and 20th centuries, the selections will range from the early New England primitive style to shape-note singing from the hymnal known as “The Southern Harmony of 1835”; from 18th century Appalachian (Scots, Irish, English immigrants) to the anthems created by the Moravians (Germany); and from African American spirituals to carols by 19th century American composers that are sung worldwide today.
Audience members will be invited to join the chorale in singing some familiar carols. The program also will include audience favorites from past Christmas concerts.
The Greenbrier Valley Chorale is directed by Barbara Wygal Lutz and accompanied on piano by Teresa Bryant. Enhancing this performance will be an instrumental ensemble including a string quartet, harp, hammered dulcimer, recorder and more. The chorale includes some 50 volunteer singers from Greenbrier and surrounding counties and is acclaimed for the quality of its performances and wide-ranging repertoire.
Concert tickets are $17 for adults and $7 for students K-undergraduate. Tickets for reserved seats can be purchased through the Carnegie hall box office, 304-645-7917, or online at www.carnegiehallwv.org, Tickets also will be available at the door. Because of the popularity of these concerts, advance purchase is strongly recommended. Please allow extra time if you plan to purchase tickets at the door.
Audience members are invited to a post-concert reception in the Old Stone Room prepared and served by the Greenbrier East High School Pro-Start Program under the leadership of Phyllis Harbert.
The program is presented with financial assistance from the WV Department of Arts, Culture and History and the National Endowment for the Arts, with approval from the WV Commission on the Arts. Additional funding was provided by the Seneca Trail Charitable Foundation and the Greenbrier County Commission Arts and Recreation Fund.
Underwriting for the 2018-19 season was provided by Greenbrier Physicians, Inc. Concert sponsors are David and Connie Hyler-Both, Nada and Richard Smith, Tim Holbrook, Brenda Patterson and David and Barbara Elliott. Carnegie Hall is ADA compliant.