(Posted Dec. 8, 2017)
By Kristy Zurbrick, Madison Editor
Each year, the Madison County Arts Council (MCAC) presents a summer musical and a Young Artist Showcase, and each year, the community turns out en masse to enjoy those performances.
To show appreciation for this perennial support, MCAC puts on a free show at Christmas called “Sounds of the Season.”
“It’s a great time of year to give thanks to the community, and what better way than to showcase the talent we have here locally,” said Brynne Adkins, show coordinator.
The 2017 Sounds of the Season will take place at 7 p.m. Dec. 17 at First United Methodist Church, 52 N. Main St., London. Admission is free. Donations will be accepted at the door.
The evening will feature an array of musical selections, from secular to religious, performed by vocalists and instrumentalists from across Madison County.
Young Ellie Shoemaker of London will treat the audience to a fun rendition of “I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas” on ukulele. Shannon Treynor and her sons, Ben and Hobbes, will perform “The Wexford Carol” with Shannon on vocals and recorder, Ben on guitar, and Hobbes on keyboard. Steve Rath, pastor at First UMC of London, will play piano solos, as well as provide piano accompaniment for other performers. Michael Schreffler will rev up the church’s gorgeous pipe organ to play solos and lead the audience in carol singing.
And the list goes on.
“We held auditions the week of Thanksgiving and had a great turnout,” Adkins said of how the talent was gathered for this year’s show.
In addition to a great slate of music, the show will include an extra treat; arts council leaders will announce their selection for the 2018 musical. While she wouldn’t reveal the name of the show in advance, Adkins did say it will be a “very big production” and that performances are scheduled for the weekend of July 13. She also noted that the next Young Artist Showcase is set for 1 p.m. Jan. 28 at St. Patrick Catholic Church in London.
The Madison County Arts Council is a non-profit organization dedicated to providing and fostering education and entertainment through sponsorship and presentation of the performing and visual arts. As part of that mission, the group annually awards fine arts scholarships to students from the county’s high schools.
