Sunday: Boyertown Area Choral Arts to Celebrate the Season with Annual Christmas Concert

by Bonnie Schanley Simmons

Sounds of this holiday season will fill the sanctuary of Good Shepherd United Church of Christ on Sunday, December 7, at 3 p.m., as Boyertown Area Choral Arts (BACA) presents its annual Christmas Concert. The church is located at 35 West Philadelphia Avenue in Boyertown. Admission is free, and the public is invited to attend.

The 50-member chorus, directed by Donna House with Robin Ward at the piano, has prepared a festive and varied program of both beloved carols and contemporary choral pieces. The audience will hear classic Christmas favorites including What Child Is This, The First Noel, It Came Upon the Midnight Clear, God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen, and the gentle lullaby Still, Still, Still.

The program also features several beautifully melodic selections such as See Amid the Winter’s Snow, I Wish You Christmas, and Glow. Adding a bit of fun, the chorus will take on Counting Down to Christmas, a fast-paced, tongue-twisting number that challenges the singers with its rapid. . . well, everything. The chorus has truly enjoyed preparing this large variety of numbers for you.  

Now celebrating its 35th year, Boyertown Area Choral Arts was formed following the retirement of longtime Boyertown Area High School vocal music teacher Margaretta (Peg) Lamb. Lamb led the chorus until 2010, when she passed the baton to House, whose complementary conducting style ensured a smooth transition. BACA continues to provide a comfortable space to sing, a place to grow musically, and the opportunity to perform for the community.

Although admission is free, a free-will offering will be collected. A portion of the proceeds will benefit the Margaretta R. Lamb Scholarship, awarded each year to a graduating Boyertown Area Senior High student pursuing vocal music studies.

Audience members are invited to enjoy refreshments in the Fellowship Hall immediately following the concert. Punch, Christmas cookies, and other light refreshments will be served.

BACA presents two concerts each year and welcomes new members from throughout the community. Singers of all experience levels who share a passion for music are encouraged to join. Rehearsals are held on Monday evenings at Good Shepherd UCC.

Please join us for an afternoon of music, community, and holiday cheer.

Bonnie Simmons is a resident of Douglassville, where she lives with her husband, Tim. She is a retired educator with a lifelong passion for teaching. She is the devoted mother of three — daughter Adrienne and sons Matthew and Brett — and a joyful grandmother to five cherished grandchildren: Lucas, Aubrey, Scarlett, Ava, and Sterling. Bonnie’s roots in Boyertown run deep. A graduate of Boyertown Area Senior High School, class of 1975, she remains active in the community through her involvement in Boyertown Area Choral Arts and proudly serves as Rifle Captain for the Boyertown Alumni Marching Unit, blending her love of music, performance, and tradition.

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