Heart of Appalachia community orchestra performs holiday concerts.
The Heart of Appalachia Community Orchestra shares a wide range of seasonal music at their concerts Dec. 9 at Virginia Highlands Community College in Abingdon, Virginia, and Dec. 10 at Lebanon High School, Lebanon, Virginia. Both concerts begin at 7 p.m. and are free and open to the public. Donations of non-perishable food items will be collected for local food pantries.
The Christmas Concert this year includes a fast-paced, raucous version of “Jingle Bells,” a refreshing arrangement of the “Christmas Song” (aka Chestnuts Roasting on an open fire), a medley of famous classical music themes interwoven with familiar Christmas tunes as “Santa at the Symphony,” and several melodic pieces for string instruments. One of the highlights will be Christmas in the Kitchen, which will feature children “playing” kitchenware alongside the orchestra members.
Now in its 23rd year, the Heart of Appalachia Community Orchestra is comprised of both professional and amateur musicians from Southwest Virginia, East Tennessee, Eastern Kentucky and Western North Carolina. Under the able direction of Kevin Townsend, the orchestra covers a wide range of music including arrangements of pop tunes, Broadway hits, classical standards as well as new pieces less familiar to most audiences.
According to Townsend, “I love directing this group because once they leave school, most adults don’t have an opportunity to play in a group. And all of our musicians love to play, volunteering their time to share great music with their neighbors. And the audiences seem to enjoy it as well.”
For more information, contact Kevin Townsend at kkirdt@yahoo.com or 276-701-5737.
