The Celebration Choir of Carroll County is a teaching and mentoring choir for students wishing to go on in music education. CCCC sings with Encore, the Berryville School choir that performed at Carnegie Hall in New York City in 2021, one of four choirs from Arkansas chosen to perform.
Artistic Director Benjamin Winn has been invited back to Carnegie to conduct in 2024 and plans to feature CCCC at Carnegie Hall. Executive Director Sharon Parker said she has extended an invitation for Berryville, Green Forest and Eureka Springs High School students to sing.
Celebration Choir is also planning a big holiday season.
“We finally have a home,” Parker said. “St. Elizabeth Catholic Church has graciously agreed to be our sponsor to provide rehearsal space. We are in essence a charity because we perform to raise money for charity. We don’t charge a fee for performances, and we get a lot of support from churches, businesses and individuals. We are trying to help and support the community through song, which is the best purveyor of good will. We want to help people achieve a sense of wellness and wholeness of being.”
CCCC is preparing for its sixth season of producing “The Nine Lessons and Carols,” a concert experience that intersperses the story of Christ’s birth with anthems and carols. The choir has produced The Nine Lessons annually for a different non-profit each year, raising about $7,000 over the past five years.
Parker said some people are still shying away from group activities because of the pandemic, but that Covid is a consideration and common sense is expected. “The mutations are happening so fast that it’s as prevalent as the common cold. It is a miracle if you don’t get it.”
In her private practice as a vocal diagnostician and consultant, Parker has discovered that Western medical studies paired with Eastern Intonation Philosophy, support the fact that singing is a wonderful way to enhance a person’s immune system.
“Add to this the social aspect of participation in a choir, singing engages better health support, both physically and spiritually, and helps to achieve that sense of wellness and wholeness of being.”
CCCC was created in 2017 through the collaboration of Winn and Parker to serve Carroll County as a conduit of charitable giving and musical ministry. The choir includes three distinct ensembles providing performance opportunities for singers and students: the patriotic Star-Spangled Ensemble that sings for local veterans and patriotic observances; the Bel Canto Ensemble composed of singers dedicated to intricate harmony and choral skill; and the Celebration Choir. Both the Star-Spangled Ensemble and the Celebration Choir provide open registration for area singers.
There is no cost to join this community choir. Music and rehearsal CDs are provided free of charge. For more information, contact Parker at (479) 981-0870 to register or follow the group on Facebook.
Rehearsals start Sept. 8 from 6 – 8 p.m. at the St. Elizabeth Parish Center located at 232 Passion Play Rd.