Celebrating its tenth season, Emmanuel Reformed Church’s 90-voice, Voices of Praise, an outreach ministry in Morrison, IL, cordially invites the area to experience its tenth annual Christmas cantata, “Ten Years of Christmas with the Voices of Praise.” There will be three performances in the beautifully decorated sanctuary of Emmanuel Reformed Church, 202 E. Morris Street, Morrison. Please plan to enjoy one of the concerts by this magnificent choir:
- Friday,December 9, 2016,at 7:00 p.m.
- Saturday, December 10, at 3:00 p.m.
- Sunday, December 11, at 7:00 p.m.
No tickets are needed for this 75-minute concert; a free-will offering will be received. All ages are welcome. The church is handicapped accessible. A fellowship hour will follow all performances, hosted by the women of Emmanuel.
A free shuttle bus will be provided for one hour prior to, and following, all three performances. This bus will pick up from Ebenezer Reformed Church’s parking lot, 309 E. Park Street, two blocks south of Emmanuel’s campus. It will drop you off at the curb in front of Emmanuel. This convenient service will offer parking ease at this popular holiday event.
The program features the very best of the past nine cantatas. Director Rich Criss took the 118 songs sung in previous cantatas and narrowed the list to 50. Additional cuts were taken to 40, then 20, and finally 12. These songs provide what he feels were the most powerful songs performed by EVOP over those years. No matter your age or musical interest, there will be music for you, and that is guaranteed! It includes such favorites as “Mary, Did You Know?,” “O Holy Night,” “Come and See What’s Happening in the Barn,” “Glory to God in the Highest,” and wonderful arrangements of many familiar carols. Because rehearsals have taken place since early September, EVOP agrees these songs are truly the best of the past nine years!
Under direction of Ministry Coordinator Rich Criss, “Voices of Praise” is comprised of the 60-voice Sanctuary Choir of Emmanuel Reformed Church, plus members of churches in the area. Churches represented are Bethel Reformed Church, Sterling, IL; The Bridge at Beans (Brethren in Christ), Sterling; Brethren in Christ Church, Morrison; Christian Reformed Church, Morrison; Church of the Open Door, Clinton, IA; Crossroads Community Church, Morrison; Ebenezer Reformed Church, Morrison; Emmanuel Reformed Church, Morrison; First Baptist Church, Clinton; First Lutheran Church, Chadwick, IL; Hanover Presbyterian Church, Hanover, IL; Harvest Time Bible Church, Rock Falls, IL; Hope United Methodist Church, Chadwick; Milledgeville Brethren Church, Milledgeville, IL; Open Bible Fellowship, rural Fulton, IL; River Church, Clinton; St. Mary’s Catholic Church, Morrison; St. Peter Lutheran Church, Morrison; Second Reformed Church, Fulton; Spring Valley Reformed Church, rural Fulton; Trinity Lutheran Church (WELS), rural Mt. Carroll, IL; Trinity Evangelical Lutheran Church, Milledgeville.
All members have come together unified under one Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ, to share the story of Christmas through powerful music.
