Crestview Community Chorus thrills with Christmas concert

CRESTVIEW — Perhaps it was an indication of how eager the community was for cultural opportunities when extra chairs had to be set up at Warriors Hall Thursday evening for opening night of ’Tis the Season, the Crestview Community Chorus’s debut concert.

The chorus, a program of the Mayor JB Whitten’s Cultural Series, formed in August under the direction of Cecile Lindegren, a retired music educator and co-founder of the Fort Walton Beach community chorus.

Comprised of Crestview area vocalists, choral directors and church choir members, the Community Chorus presented two nights of Christmas music ranging from pop favorites and traditional songs to sacred music, starting with a medley called “Holiday Film Festival” that combined “Spirit of the Season” from “The Polar Express,” “Welcome Christmas” from “How the Grinch Stole Christmas,” and “Merry Christmas” from “Home Alone 2.”

Guest instrumentalists Steve, Vicki and Roxanna Ford accompanied the old French “A Winter Carol” and “Huron Carol” medley, while Community Chorus member Patty Seip did a stirring solo on “Gesu Bambino.” Island rhythm accompanied the fun “Calypso Lullaby,” while a medley incorporating “Here We Come a-Caroling,” “Deck the Halls” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas” provided the finale.

Lindegren shared the baton with guest directors Ashley Gay, Keitha Bledsoe, who was also an accompanist, and Mark Broadhead, who was the program’s narrator the first evening. Mayor JB Whitten performed the narrator’s duties for the Friday night performance.

The standing ovation concluding the opening evening showed the heartfelt appreciation for the chorus’s hard work and virtuosity, and for a performance that audience member Deborah Bruning pronounced, “A wonderful show.”

This article originally appeared on Crestview News Bulletin: Crestview Community Chorus thrills with Christmas concert