A Christmas Celebration December 9 at SIC

The Southeastern Illinois College Community Chorus will take center stage this holiday season to perform a potpourri of Christmas carols and songs ranging from old to new, including musical selections from Handel’s Messiah.

The annual concert, now in its thirty-sixth year, has become the signature event for the chorus, which began its holiday performances in 1977 under the direction of former music teacher James Kinchen. Later, SIC music instructor Bruce Boone continued the holiday tradition until his retirement in 2005.

This year’s program, A Christmas Celebration, will feature a collection of seasonal favorites under the direction of Tim Green.  An orchestra, consisting of SIC students and community musicians, will accompany the chorus.

Green, pastor of Gospel Mission Tabernacle in Golconda, feels this year’s chorus has extraordinary talent. “I believe this will be one of the best Christmas concerts in the area.  We are including some of the favorites we all love to hear at Christmas with some of the best vocals and choral arrangements I’ve ever heard,” said Green.

New this year will be the hand bell choir from First United Methodist Church in Harrisburg performing Carol of the Bells.  Jared Mitchell from Norris City will sing Mary, Did You Know, and Madeline Rogers from Eldorado will perform Sleigh Ride. 

Of course, no Christmas concert would be complete without the audience joining the chorus in singing a traditional yuletide carol.

The performance will begin at 2 p.m. on Sunday, Dec. 9, in the George T. Dennis Visual & Performing Arts Center on the campus of SIC.

Tickets for the performance can be purchased for $5.00 per person. Contact the box office at boxoffice@sic.edu or 618-252-5400, ext. 2486 or 2487.  Those wanting to know more about the performance may call SIC’s Kellye Whitler at 618-841-4649.

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