CRESTVIEW — Schola Cantorum's Christmas concert on Wednesday drew 50 people, its largest Crestview area audience to date.
Over the years, the Northwest Florida State College-based Schola Cantorum has stayed faithful to its north county audience, playing even when audience members could be counted on one’s own digits.
The group's performances have plenty of variety.
“Some of it's very old and some of it is very new, and some of it that’s very new is based on very old text,” Schola director John Leatherwood said of the concert’s selections.
Highlights from Wednesday's concert included the traditional “Masters In This Hall,” Uma Jolly’s solo on Robert Farrell’s “Oh, Sleep Now, Holy Baby,” and J. William Greene’s contemporary “Gates and Doors,” featuring soloist Sara Florence.
Robert Lehman performed the traditional Irish “Wexford Carol," and "O Come, O Come, Emmanuel” included the evening’s oldest text “but probably the most current setting,” Leatherwood said.
The concert concluded with two American spirituals, “Glory to the Newborn King,” featuring a solo by Greg Parry, and “Go, Tell it on the Mountain."
Carolyn Schlatter provided piano accompaniment, with Carole Hayes on violin and Robin Horne on flute.
Email News Bulletin Arts Editor Brian Hughes, follow him on Twitter or call 850-682-6524.
This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Schola Cantorum's Christmas performance draws largest audience