Christmas concert to benefit Ozarks Food Harvest

October 30, 2006
Contact: Paul K. Logsdon, Director of Public Relations and Publications, 865-2815 ext. 7292

Springfield, Mo. — The Evangel University Music Department will present its annual Celebration of Christmas concert in the Evangel Chapel Auditorium Friday, Dec. 8, at 7:30 p.m.

The public is invited to attend.

Admission will be a donation of canned food or cash to benefit the Ozarks Food Harvest. At the 2005 concert, Evangel presented OFH with $600.00 cash and 659 pounds of food. More than 9,000 pounds of food and $4,000 has been contributed to OFH over the past several years as a result of this annual event.

More than 250 students and faculty musicians will participate in the Celebration of Christmas. The first half of the concert will feature the University Symphonic Band conducted by John Shows, the University Jazz Ensemble directed by Matthew Warner, soprano soloists Susan Smith and Carol Chapman, Concert Handbells directed by Beth McLellan, and a performance on the Schantz pipe organ. An audience sing-along of traditional carols will conclude the first half of the program.

After intermission, Larry Dissmore will conduct the University Orchestra and the combined University Chorale and Chorus in selections from Handel’s Messiah. Faculty soloists will be Carol Chapman, soprano; Richard Honea, tenor; and Linda Ligate, harpsichordist.

The OFH is the regional food bank serving Springfield and the surrounding Ozarks region. The OFH, a project of the Council of Churches of the Ozarks, distributes donated food to more than 270 hunger-relief agencies in 87 Ozarks counties. More than 4 million pounds of donated food is distributed through OFH each year.

For additional information, please contact Tonya Thurman at 865-2815 Ext. 7211.