West Shore holiday concerts

VICTORY TWP.  — West Shore Community College’s musical ensembles will be featured in four holiday performances starting Dec. 2, in the college’s Center Stage Theater.         

The nearly 200 members of the musical ensembles travel from throughout western Michigan to rehearse every week during a semester. They include students and non-student community members.

The 65-voice Concert Choir opens the concert series on Sun., Dec. 2, at 2 p.m. The choir, under the direction of Becky Sopha and Assistant Director Lew Wilson, will feature a variety of traditional holiday choral music including several works by English composer and arranger John Rutter. Accompanist for the choir is Donna Clousing.

The choir will also perform an Advent concert on Dec. 3, at 7 p.m., at Scottville’s Our Savior Lutheran Church and a joint concert with the United Methodist Church hand bell choir on Dec. 11, at 7 p.m., in Hart’s St. Joseph Catholic Church.           

The 95-member Wind Symphony and 40-member Chamber Winds, under the direction of WSCC Associate Professor Ted Malt, will perform a variety of musical selections from classical and holiday repertoire on Wed., Dec. 12, at 7:30 p.m. A reception will follow the concert where Santa Claus will greet children both young and old.

On Thurs., Dec. 13, at 7:30 p.m., the swinging sounds of the Jazz Band, also led by Malt, will take the stage with music from the Thad Jones Library, Frank Sinatra, funk and blues.  Making its debut with the Jazz Band is the new Percussion Ensemble which is a pilot program developed to bring the percussive arts to music students. Made up of both college and area high school students, the performance will feature an illuminated show, “Junkyard in the Dark,” with special guest Kevin DePree who specializes in drums and percussion.

More holiday music takes center stage when WSCC’s popular show choir, The Collegiates, perform on Thurs., Dec. 20, at 7:30 p.m.  Scott Emelander, who directs the group, says many of the singers are familiar faces, but he has also recruited many new members as well. He adds the ensemble has evolved into an “a capella” vocal jazz group and the upcoming concert is full of high energy holiday repertoire. Jaime Pepple will be featured on piano.            

Tickets for the concerts may be purchased by calling the Center Stage Theater Box Office at (231) 843-5507.  Go online to www.westshore.edu for more concert information.