It’s the season to sing and in a town that loves music, Clarksdale is in for a number of great performances this Christmas season.
The music began Saturday with caroling on the lawn of Lyon United Methodist Church and is followed by Coahoma Community College Choir at St. Elizabeth Church on Tuesday and Oakhurst Baptist Church hosting a combined choir of several local churches on Dec. 11.
The community is urged to come and take part in the Traditional Christmas Caroling On The Lawn in Lyon at 6 p.m. Saturday. Attendees are asked to bring lawn chairs, dress casual and dress warm.
Singers will gather on the steps of Lyon United Methodist Church and hot cider, hot chocolate and Christmas goodies will be in the Fellowship Hall after the event.
The Coahoma Commu-nity College Choir will perform “A Christmas to Remember at 7:30 p.m. Tuesday, Dec. 6, at St. Elizabeth Catholic Church, located at 130 Florence Avenue.
The Memphis Chamber Orchestra will perform along with the CCC group as an added element to the event. A local high school choir will also perform.
Dr. Kelvin Towers, choir director and Department of Music chairperson, said his talented group has been busy preparing for the festive event. He looks forward to sharing one of Coahoma’s coveted treasures.
Towers said the event is in its 18th year and is returning after a brief hiatus due to the COVID-19 pandemic. Given this, he encourages the public to attend this highly-anticipated musical experience.
Like most HBCUs, Coahoma is proud of fostering an atmosphere that creates a sense of community, belonging, and togetherness. The choir, a close-knit group, is no different. The bonds shared between students and directors are ones that Towers holds dear.
“Our choir is very family oriented. They genuinely like spending time with each other. This makes the directors’ job easier in getting them to put in the extra work that will allow them to perform the music at a higher level of artistry,” said Towers.
The event is free and open to the public, but attendees are encouraged to arrive early for optimal seating.
And on Sunday, Dec. 11, at 6 p.m., local church members from seven churches throughout the community will come together at Oakhurst Baptist Church on West Second Street to present “Rejoice The King Is Here.”
This program has been a Christmas tradition for well over five years and numerous members of this group have enjoyed combining their talents to participate in multiple Easter and Christmas programs.
“Their motivation is to spread the love of Jesus Christ and their hope is that the community will be blessed,” said Sandra Chow, spokesman for the event. “This presentation is a free gift to the community and everyone is welcome.”
Choir members from Clarksdale Baptist, First Presbyterian, King’s Temple, Lyon Baptist, Lyon Methodist, Oakhurst Baptist and Riverside Baptist have been preparing since September for this celebration.
A love offering to benefit local charities will be taken at most of these events.
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