Mississippi Valley State University’s choir will perform the 11th Annual “O Holy Night” Christmas Choral Concert at North Greenwood Baptist Church at 7 p.m. Monday.
It will also be the first concert held since 2019 without any pandemic-related restrictions or changes. The choir will be accompanied by the Memphis Chamber Orchestra and soloists.
Dr. Brandon Cash, director of choir activities, said the choir had planned to do something with the orchestra in 2020, but due to the adjustments in the university’s academic calendar caused by the COVID-19 pandemic, the plans didn’t come through.
“We’ve been performing with the Memphis Chamber for about 20 years or so, and I’m excited to continue this partnership,” Cash said.
This will be his fourth year with the choir and his second year directing the “O Holy Night” concert.
“I try to treat the choir as a community, as a family environment where people who love to sing come together,” Cash said. “It makes a difference.”
The choir has been rehearsing extensively every day of the week. The Valley Singers, the Women’s Chorale and Men’s Glee Club have also been rehearsing along the same schedule.
\Soloists and narrators will also be featured, in addition to the ensemble performances.
Cash said the progress of the choir is what makes the process special to him. “Seeing the beginning stages of where we were, the progress made in the middle of the semester, then seeing everything coming together, this is the highlight of the year.”
But, more personally, he added, “it’s seeing students dedicated to the music and their craft and wanting to be a better beacon of light for the campus.”
He hopes that this performance will also beckon the community to come together.
“I always tell my students, ‘We work with purpose, passion and heart. Music is the one thing that binds us, regardless of where we’ve come from.’ ... I try to make this an event for the whole Mississippi Delta to come together and celebrate the holiday season under one umbrella.”
- Contact Katherine Parker at 662-581-7239 or kparker@gwcommonwealth.com.
