The Lakewood Area Choral Society is pleased to announce its third concert of the 2024 Season: Great Is Thy Faithfulness: A Concert of Sacred Choral Music, which will be held Sunday, September 22 at 3:00 PM at Pleasant Valley United Brethren Church, 9975 Thompson Rd, Lake Odessa, MI 48849.

This concert features many new works as well as old favorites. Now in its 39th year of providing local audiences with high quality performances, LACS owes its existence to Dr. Robert C. Oster, who, upon hearing a request for an adult community choir in 1985, set out to do just that, and not just any community choir, but one that provided, and continues to provide, stellar performances.

This concert opens with “Lord, Here Am I” by John Ness Beck. It is based on a poem by Fanny Crosby, in which we offer our lives and services to God. The mood changes dramatically as the choir bursts forth in praise with “How Great Thou Art,” words and music by Stuart K. Hine and arranged by Dan Forrest. “Ancient Words,” by Lynn Deshazo, arranged by Craig Courtney, is a hauntingly beautiful song that remind us that ancient words, ever true, impart knowledge and strength, with Cindy Olson, assistant conductor.

A new piece this year, “No Night There” by Dan Forrest features LACS member David Parker on violin. Quoting several passages from Scripture, this song eloquently tells us that “God is with Us,” “God is for Us,” that we should not be afraid because there will be no night there in the heavenly realm. Another new composition for LACS this year is “Mansions of the Lord,” a hymn for fallen soldiers, arranged by Benjamin Harlan with lyrics by Randall Wallace. It features a small ensemble Cindy Olson, Jill VanZyl, Elaine Caswell, Jammie Bills North, Gayle Marsh, Pat McKinney, David Rood, Warren Bishop, Paul Kuhlman, and Paul Schloop. “Footsteps,” with lyrics by Jonathan Cook and music by Craig Courtney, counsels us to walk in God’s footsteps, the “path of guiding light.”

“Great Is Thy Faithfulness,” the theme for this concert, is a familiar hymn, but as arranged by Dan Forrest, it swells to a glorious conclusion. During the Freewill Offering, several LACS members will share their talents, Cindy Olson, soprano will sing “My Lord, What a Morning,” arranged by Mark Hayes, and Mary Kuhlman, alto and Cindy Thelen, soprano, will sing

“Be Still My Soul” arranged by Lloyd Larson. The second half of the concert opens with “Peace Like a River with Amazing Grace” a traditional spiritual arranged by Joel Raney that lifts the spirit as the choir sings of joy in the soul and will be conducted by Cindy Olson.

The majestic “Hallelujah (from the Mount of Olives)” by Ludwig van Beethoven is a triumphal hymn of joy, praising God’s “grace and glory.” “His Masterpiece,” commissioned by LACS for its 35th Anniversary is by Jill Gallina and discloses that music is, indeed, God’s masterpiece. It features soloists Lisa Sterkenburg and Warren Bishop. “Battle Hymn of the Republic” that great patriotic hymn from the Civil War Era, with words by Julia Ward Howe, music by William Steefe, and arranged by Peter J. Wilhousky, stirs audiences to remember even in the darkest times that God’s truth remains.

The concert closes with yet another new piece for LACS, “Sing Gently” by Eric Whitacre, who composed it as COVID-19 transformed our world by creating a kind of isolation that caused great suffering and division. Whitacre wrote this song “with the hope that it might give some small measure of comfort, and that it might suggest a way of living with one another that is compassionate, gentle, and kind.” The premiere of this gentle song took place online on July 19, 2020, with 17,572 singers of Virtual Choir 6. LACS offers it here as a song of hope for the world. The music was purchased by the children of LACS singers Lew and Carol Campbell as a tribute to them celebrating 64 years of marriage.

Ethan Holmes serves as the choir’s accompanist. The doors for the concert will open at 2:30, and in lieu of tickets, a freewill offering will be taken.

You could be part of this semiprofessional choir as LACS is seeking new members for the 2024 season. Go to www.lacsmusic.org/accepting-new-members/ for more
information.