Highlands Youth Ensemble
The choirs of the Mountain Empire Children’s Choral Academy announce their slate of Holiday Concerts.
Artistic Director Jane DeLoach Morison says, “We are thrilled to present concerts around the Tri-Cities this season, and we are also proud to be invited back to the Biltmore Estate for two performances during their Candlelight Christmas Evenings.”
The theme for this year’s concert season is “What a Wonderful World,” and audience members can expect to hear music from Jamaica, Africa, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Germany, France and even the North Pole.
Morison explains, “This year one of the pieces our children are learning is called ‘The Twelfth Elf,’ and it tells an adorable story about the smallest elf who found a way to help Santa. We know everyone is going to love to hear our young musicians singing this song.”
The theme of “What a Wonderful World” also carries into the spring and culminates with the Highlands Youth Ensemble tour in France. They travel to France in late May/early June to perform several concerts in Normandy, the Loire region and Paris.
Morison says, “I am deeply honored and humbled that the Highlands Youth Ensemble will be able to represent our region with their concerts, and especially that they will tour the Normandy beaches, lay a wreath at the American cemetery, and sing a concert there. We have also commissioned a special choral to commemorate the 80th anniversary of the D-day landing. We will perform the world premiere here in the Tri-Cities before taking it to France. I think everyone is going to be very moved by the texts and beautiful music composed by Abingdon native, Benjamin Dawson.”
Christmas concert schedule includes several appearances.
They perform in the By the Fireside Concert with Symphony of the Mountains Dec. 2 at 3 p.m. at Toy F. Reid Auditorium, Kingsport, Tennessee and Dec. 3 at 3 p.m. at the McGlothlin Center for the Arts on the Emory & Henry College campus, Emory, Virginia.
The East Tennessee Children’s Choir and Explorers sing “Sounds of the Season” Dec. 4 at 6 p.m. at the Johnson City Public Library, Johnson City, Tennessee.
Mountain Empire Children’s Choral Academy presents its Christmas Concert Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. at First Presbyterian Church, Johnson City, Tennessee.
Children’s Choir singers perform for Candlelight Christmas Evening Dec. 10 at 5:30 p.m. at Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina.
Highlands Youth Ensemble presents a Service of Lessons and Carols Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m., at First Presbyterian Church, Bristol, Tennessee.
Highlands Youth Ensemble singers perform for Candlelight Christmas Dec. 17 at 5:30 p.m. at Biltmore Estate, Asheville, North Carolina.
For more information about choirs or upcoming auditions, visit www.meccacademy.org.
