Lakewood Area Choral Society (LACS) will present its final concert of the 2022 season
with Christmas songs ranging from secular to sacred, designed to entertain all ages.
This year’s concert, “Hosanna In the Highest!” will be held Sunday, December 18, at
3PM at Lakewood High School’s Fine Arts Auditorium, 7223 Velte Rd, Lake Odessa, MI
48849.
The concert will begin with the fast-paced “Ding Dong Merrily on High,” a16 th century
French carol arranged by Camp Kirkland featuring an antiphonal choir of Cindy Olson,
Cathie Ott, Nancy Hendrick, Mary Kuhlman, Warren Bishop, Jon Cleveland, Paul
Kuhlman, and Scott Taylor. The program will continue with “Good People, All Rejoice”
with “Bring a Torch Jeanette Isabella,” two familiar carols yet arranged by Philip Kern
with surprise interpretations, and “Angels Watching Over Me,” a traditional spiritual
arranged by Joel Raney.
“How Far Is It to Bethlehem?” arranged by Molly Ijames, will be conducted by Cindy
Olson, LACS Assistant Conductor, followed by “Rise Up, Shepherds,” a traditional
spiritual with a jazzy, blues vibe. Arranged by Tom Fettke and Thomas Grassi, this
song features Deb Durrant, soprano, and Vicki Pontz, alto, as soloists.
“Lo! Newborn Jesus,” text by Christina Rossetti, is a mystical, majestic piece composed
by Dr. Robert Oster in 2015, with his, then, Grand Rapids Christian High School voice
student Lydia Parker, as soloist. In 2015, she was a senior, and the performance being
studied voice at Wheaton College Conservatory earning her Bachelor of Music degree
and now pursuing her Master’s in voice at the Indiana University Jacobs School of
Music. Lydia has performed internationally in Saarburg, Germany, and at Gratz,
Austria’s AIMS Lieder program, as well as at Songfest in Los Angeles. “It will be
amazing to have her back on stage with us. Her voice has grown so much,” said Oster.
The choir will also perform “Still, Still, Still” a traditional Austrian carol arranged by
Norman Luboff, followed by a rousing setting of “It’s Beginning to Look Like Christmas,
words and music by Meredith Willson, arranged by Mark Hayes. The magnificent
“Hallelujah Chorus” from George Handel’s Messiah will also be presented.
The concert will conclude with the solemn “Night of Silence,” by Daniel Kantor, featuring
Cathie Ott on flute and Cindy Olson on digital keyboard. As is customary at LACS
Christmas concerts, the audience will join the choirs by singing “Silent Night” during the
last verse.
LACS is concluding its 37th year under the direction of its founder, Dr. Robert C. Oster,
and is accompanied by Ethan Holmes. “We are so fortunate to have a pianist of Ethan’s
caliber accompanying the choir. His playing is so artful and that encourages the choir to
be their best,” commented Oster.
The concert will be rebroadcast on WBCH 100.1FM and streamed on wbch.com on
Christmas day at 8:30AM, sponsored by the Barry County Commission on Aging aaand
Bennett Travel. The doors for the concert will open at 2:30, and in lieu of tickets, a
freewill offering will be collected.
The mission of the choral society is to provide for its members an atmosphere that
promotes learning and enjoyment of choral music and to provide for our audiences
superior performances of choral music. You could be part of this semiprofessional choir
as LACS is seeking new members for the 2023 season, its 38th. Go to
www.lacsmusic.org for more information.