The Grand River Valley Choir & Orchestra will begin their seventh season Saturday, December 10.
GRVCO will present “A Celebration of Christmas” at 3:00 pm, at the First Baptist Church in Trenton. The doors will open at 2:30. We ask our guests not to enter the Sanctuary until the dress rehearsal is over.
The choir will open singing three selections; Angels We Have Heard On High, arranged by Craig Courtney, Lo, how a rose e’re blooming, arranged by Michael Praetorius and Masters in this Hall, arranged by Allice Parker and Robert Shaw.
The orchestra will then perform three numbers starting with Coventry Carol a popular English carol arranged by John Whitney; followed by Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas, a song written by Hugh Martin and Ralph Blane and also arranged by John Whitney. It was introduced by Judy Garland in the 1944 musical “Meet Me in St Louis. Frank Sinatra later recorded a version with modified lyrics. The orchestra’s final selection will be Stille Nacht, arranged by Chip Davis and Calvin Custer. “Silent Night” was composed in 1818 by Franz Xavier Gruber to lyrics by Joseph Mohr which was first performed on Christmas Eve 1818.
Together the choir and orchestra will perform Z. Randall Stroope’s Hodie [Hoe dee yeah’], “This Day” Movement IIIand the traditional Hallelujah Chorus from “Messiah.”
George Brundage is the overall GRVCO musical director. Cathie Lowrey is the pianist; Buddy Hannaford is the orchestra conductor. Members of both the choir and orchestra come not only from Trenton, but represent quite a few communities in north central Missouri.
We want to publically thank Hodge Presbyterian Church for allowing us space for our rehearsals.
Thanks also go to the First Baptist Church for permitting us to schedule a couple of rehearsals and our concerts there and to Larry Dannar for helping with sound requirements.
GRVCO does not have a consistent source of income but operates through public donations. The performance will support the Grundy County Food Pantry and encourage those attending to bring a canned good to donate.
A cookie reception will follow the concert and be held in the basement of the First Baptist Church.
There will be a DVD or CD available of the program.
