CityView Magazine

CityViewNC.com | 31 Seasons of Singing Singing is ultimately a celebration, and yet it can also be a dedicated form of remembrance. e COS season for 2017 and 2018 is themed around the reason "Why We Sing." In the COS program, Britt writes, "We use music to celebrate, to mourn, to signify events, to worship, and to bookmark times in our lives. Why We Sing will address specific reasons why we (musicians and laymen alike) all sing, or should sing." Mark December 16th on your calendar. COS will be performing its "We Sing to Remember" concert at First Baptist Church at 201 Anderson Street in Fayetteville. is festive concert, revolving around the winter season, religious holidays and the thoughts we have of our friends, families and times gone by, will include themes of Christmas and will also include Part 1 of "Messiah," Britt's favorite classic of the season. Come spring – around April – another concert will explore the theme of "We Sing to Experience." It will include nods to the themes of experiencing emotion, language, compassion, the community of life and also the formal elements of music – melody, harmony, progression, phrasing and dynamics. For this concert, Britt says, COS will perform works that he believes all choirs should be familiar with – Handel's "Sing Unto God," Franz Josef Haydn's "Achieved Is y Glorious Work," "Der Gang Zum Liebchen" by Johannes Brahms and "Cantique de Jean Racine" by Gabriel Faure. COS takes a break in the summer. Other than that, they meet and sing every Monday night at 6:45 p.m. at Holy Trinity Episcopal Church on Raeford Road. "It's a great place to sing," Britt said. "e acoustics, the hard tile floors, the big expansive vaulted cathedral ceilings – there's nothing that buffers the sound." Turning the page Britt's goal as the new artistic director is to continue to introduce COS to the community. He's surprised when people say they've never heard of the choir, especially since the arts are a prominent market here. He'd like to pair up with and work alongside the Cape Fear Regional eatre or the Fayetteville Symphony, especially since all three organizations are under new directors this season. COS is open to anyone who enjoys singing. "You don't have to be someone who holds a degree in music," Britt said. "It would help that you've sung in a high school choir but anyone who wants to have that point of contact with music, whether you're a doctor, a pharmacist or a lawyer, can do that here." e choir always has a particular need for more basses and tenors and is always looking for possible venues that may be interested in hosting concerts. Tickets for performances are $27 each. Group discounts are available. Students with ID are admitted free of charge. Tickets can be bought the day of the concert with cash or a credit card or you can purchase season tickets for all three concerts for $70. For more information, visit www.singwithCOS.org, email cumberlandoratoriodirector@gmail.com or show up to sing at 6:45 on Monday evenings. Cape Fear Crematory, Inc. More cost effective than traditional burial We offer private family viewings Affordable direct cremation Services available 24 hours Family owned and operated for 35 years 6765 Sandy Creek Road | Stedman, NC 28391 | 910.323.8898 | www.capefearcrematory.com "Where compassion and care run the business"

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