So you are driving on Trade Street in Tryon on a Monday evening at around 7 p.m. and it appears that all the sidewalks are rolled up and the village has already gone to sleep.
Well, all is not as it appears. Just down the street and around the corner, the Tryon Presbyterian Church is abuzz as 100 singers gather, greet and share tidbits as conductor Mark Schweizer is about to launch an intense two-hour rehearsal. Schweizer announces the first piece and gives rapid-fire instructions, followed by “Got it? OK!” and they’re off.
The Carolina Community Chorus (CCC) is now preparing its annual Christmas concert, to be held at Polk County High School on Sunday, Dec. 11 at 3 p.m.
The CCC consists of volunteer singers from all walks of life, all musical levels of experience and all ages. There are no auditions; all you have to do is show up.
The program will include traditional seasonal selections, and some not-so-traditional—a bit of a ‘round the world adventure…Italian, Swiss, Scottish, Caribbean, Native American, English and more. There’s even a play, and there will be a sing-along too.
In recent years, there has been a rotation among conductors, but there has been one constant: accompanist Pam McNeil. Chorus singers said she can laugh, joke around and carry on as much as anyone, but once she takes her seat at the piano, she seems to be “Bluetoothed” to the conductor and responds instantly to whatever he asks of her.
Proceeds from the concert will go toward Rotary scholarships.
– article submitted
by Elizabeth Gardner