The Williamsport Music Club invites the community to attend its Christmas Music by Candlelight program, to be presented at 4:00 pm on Sunday, December 8. Pine Street United Methodist Church, 441 Pine Street, Williamsport, will host this event, which has been held annually (with the exception of 2020, due to Covid-19) since the club’s organization in 1937.
Kristin Ivers, Pennsylvania Federation of Music Clubs President, is chair of the program which will feature beloved Christmas music. Greeters for the program are Greta Elliott and Katharine Cimini. A ten-minute opening prelude of piano music by Kristin Ivers and Laurel Wolgemuth will precede the program.
Performing ensembles will include three tenors: Nicholas Biddle, Ryan Workman, and Wayne Harris, singing “We Three Kings” arranged by David Cullen for the Three Irish Tenors; A handbell quartet from Pine Street UMC, under the direction of Karl Ivers, will perform “Angels, We Have Heard on High”. Mary Pewterbaugh, Lynne Koskie, Kristin Ivers, and Karl Ivers make up the quartet. John G. Ravert, Sr. and his student, Benjamin Goertzen will present a piano duet of “Silent Night, arr. by Joel Raney. Special guests performing on the program will be a Brass ensemble from members of the Repasz Band. They will present. “Wexford Carol,” “Mary, Did You Know?,” and “Hark! The Herald Angels Sing”. Jessica R. Lewis, past WMC Budd Memorial Scholarship Recipient, is assistant director of the Repasz Band and will direct the brass ensemble. Another special guest to our program this year is Jon Haley, classical guitar, performing his renditions of “What Child is This?,” “In the Bleak Mid Winter,” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas”. A beloved classic, “O Holy Night” will be performed by Jason Hurwitz, violin and Kristin Ivers, piano.
A Williamsport Music Club Ladies Ensemble, facilitated and accompanied by Kristin Ivers, will sing
“Blow, Ye Winds, Softly,” by Ruth K. Kennerly. The singers will be Sopranos: Suzanne Fedele,
Bonnie Horn, Marilyn Kern, Leatha Kieser, Margaret Piper, Bonnie Seltzer, Carmen Spinney,
Diane Thomas, and Georgie Ulrich.; Mezzo-Sopranos: Betsy Belcher, Marilyn Burget, Katharine Cimini, Kristin Ivers, Ann Kaufman, Mary Beth Kibbe, and Carol Waltz.
Organ music for the program will include played by Carol Waltz, organ and Leatha Kieser, piano; followed by “Christmas Chimes” performed by Carol Waltz, organ. The Offertory will be “Une Vierge Pucelle” (‘Twas in the Moon of Wintertime) performed by Leatha Kieser, organ and Carol Waltz, piano; The Postlude, “Toccata for the Christmas Season,” will be played by David Koskey, organ.
Attendees will join in singing “O Come All Ye Faithful,” “It Came Upon the Midnight Clear,” and “Silent Night,” to guitar accompaniment played by Jon Haley during a candle-lighting ceremony. A free will offering to benefit the West End Christian Community Center will be collected.
Williamsport Music Club is a Federated member of both the Pennsylvania Federation of Music Clubs and the National Federation of Music Clubs; the largest nonprofit organization in America promoting and supporting American music, performers and music education. Learn more about us on the web.
