The newly-formed Rutherford County Heritage Singers, a community choir sponsored by the Rutherford County Historical Society, will present a concert of holiday music on Tuesday evening, December 1, at 7 p.m. at First Baptist Church on Main Street in Rutherfordton.

The choir will be directed by Polk County native, Lesley M. Bush, and accompanied by Bob Bridges.

More than 50 singers from across Rutherford and Polk counties and Upstate South Carolina will perform a variety of secular and sacred yuletide classics.

Contemporary pieces will include, Irving Berlins White Christmas, as well as other favorites: Ill be Home for Christmas, Home for the Holidays and We Need a Little Christmas from the Broadway musical Mame.

An arrangement of Joy to the World will close the concert. The choir will then lead a procession down the sidewalk in front of the church to a tree-lighting ceremony at St. Johns Historic Church, headquarters of the Rutherford County Historical Society.

Bush serves on the Rutherford County Historical Society board of directors. He is the minister of music at Tryon Presbyterian Church. He is a graduate of Mars Hill College and attended Southern Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky. In the past, Bush has served as director and accompanist for the Polk County Community Chorus and as accompanist for both the Union Symphony Chorus in Monroe, and the Third Century Singers in Goldsboro.

The Rutherford County Historical Society has a long tradition of presenting a program of holiday music each December, says Bush. I am looking forward to involving the entire community in a musical program that incorporates holiday songs written during our own lifetime as well as pieces that have been sung for generations. I am very proud to be working with a wonderful group of singers from across our area.

The holiday concert will serve as the official kick-off of the Rutherford County Historical Societys 75th year. The organization was formed in 1935. Special events will be held throughout 2010 in honor of the groups founding. For more information call 828-447-1474.