Carson Chamber Singers Present Two Fall Concerts
Under New Conductor Bill Belcher
Sat., Nov. 16, 2019, at Shepherd of the Sierra Lutheran Church
Sun., Nov. 17, 2019, at First United Methodist Church

Carson Chamber Singers, conducted by William Belcher, and Joyful Noise Carson Children's Choir, conducted by Michelle Powers, will present two Something for Everyone Fall Concerts on Saturday, November 16, and Sunday, November 17, 2019, in Carson City. The Saturday concert will be at Shepherd of the Sierra Lutheran Church, 3680 US Highway 395 South, at 7:00 p.m., and the Sunday concert will be at First United Methodist Church, 412 W. Musser Street, at 7:00 p.m.

The concert, Something for Everyone, will open with Joyful Noise Carson Children's Choir performing "It's Not About the Turkey," a selection of lighthearted holiday songs. The Carson Chamber Singers will follow with an eclectic program from traditional to contemporary, featuring music by Billy Joel, John Rutter, Randall Thompson, and others.

General admission tickets are $12, available online at CCSymphony.com (see "BUY NOW" button below); at the Nevada Day Office, 716 N. Carson St., Carson City; and at the door. Youth ages 18 and under are admitted free.

Founded in 1985 as a performing group of the Carson City Symphony Association, the Carson Chamber Singers have sung at several venues in northern Nevada and in California as far as Sacramento, and sang for the 99th National American Legion Convention in Reno. Open to singers high-school age and above, they have sung with the Reno Philharmonic and perform regularly with the Carson City Symphony.

Bill Belcher was appointed conductor of the Carson Chamber Singers by the Symphony Association Board on Sept. 15, 2019. He has a B.S. degree in music from University of Oregon School of Music and Dance, where his main area of performance study was voice. He writes about himself, "As an undergraduate, was accepted into the conducting study program under the late Max Risinger. I actually majored in conducting, except there was no official undergraduate conducting degree program, and there is still not one, therefore the general "music" degree. I was one of only 12 allowed into the program that year. In a normal year, only 10 students were admitted to the program. I completed the yearlong program, focused on symphonic conducting, successfully."

The Joyful Noise Carson Children's Choir was founded in 2017 by Nancy Jones for children ages four to twelve. It is an educational program of the Association, and has performed at the Brewery Arts Center, Carson City Community Center, Shepherd of the Sierra, and for the 2018 Nevada Interfaith Thanksgiving Service in Reno. They have been invited to sing for the Nevada Association for the Education of Young Children conference in April 2020.

For information about joining the choral groups, call the Symphony Association at 775-883-4154 or see CCSymphony.com/ccsingers.htm. Concerts are supported in part by public funds through a grant from the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, and by private donations.

Photos: New Carson Chamber Singers Conductor Bill Belcher.
Carson Chamber Singers in concert in April 2018.
Joyful Noise Carson Children's Choir at rehearsal for fall concerts.

Click to purchase tickets. (Note: Click on concert date in the Activity Tickets calendar that is displayed to buy tickets.)

Symphony Youth Strings Fall Concert
"Around the World in Music"
Tuesday, December 3, 2019

The Carson City Symphony's Youth Strings will present its fall concert, "Around the World in Music," on Tuesday, December 3, 2019, at 6:30 p.m. at the Carson City Community Center. Symphony Youth Strings (formerly Strings in the Schools), Carson City Symphony's comprehensive program of string instruction, inspired by the teachings of Kato Havas, creator and author of The New Approach to Violin Playing, provides free beginning violin lessons for students grades 2-5 and ensemble/orchestra experience for all interested string students in the Carson City School District. Tuition and books are subsidized by the Carson City Symphony Association. The instruction is guided by Sue Jesch, Carson City Symphony's Education Director and former Concertmaster, who is assisted by Laura Gibson, Carson City Symphony Associate Concertmaster, and Lou Groffman, principal cellist of the Symphony.

This is a free concert.

Consort Canzona Presents a Pair of Concerts
Friday, December 6, 2019
Saturday, December 7, 2019

Consort Canzona, Carson City Symphony's early music ensemble will be presenting a pair of concerts, "Something Old, Something New," on Friday, Dec. 6, at 7:00 p.m. and Saturday, Dec. 7, 2019, at 4:00 p.m. Both concerts are at Shepherd of the Sierra Lutheran Church, south of Topsy Lane. Mark your calendars now. The group is under the direction of Gary Schwartz.

Further details are pending admission are pending. For information, call 775-883-4154.

STRAZZ To Do Two Performances on
Saturday, December 7, 2019

STRAZZ, the Symphony Youth Strings advanced group, will be doing a pair of performances on Saturday, December 7, 2019, in and around Carson City.

The first performance will be from 3:00 to 3:30 p.m. at the "Empty Bowls Project" event at Carson Mall. This is a benefit for FISH (Friends in Service Helping) to help feed people in need. Empty Bowls is an international grassroots effort to fight hunger and was created by The Imagine Render Group. The basic premise is simple: Potters and other craftspeople, educators and others donate & work with the community to create handcrafted bowls. Guests are invited to a simple meal of soup and bread. In exchange for a cash donation, guests are asked to keep a bowl as a reminder of all the empty bowls in the world. The money raised is donated to an organization working to end hunger and food insecurity. Empty Bowls is the largest hunger-relief organization in the United States, Feeding America reports that the nation's food banks could soon be overwhelmed by demand. Statistics show that 1 out of 8 Americans struggle with food insecurity every day. For more information about Empty Bowls Project, check the Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/EmptyBowlsCarsonCity.

The second STRAZZ performance will be from 5:30 to 6:15 p.m. at Trader Joe's on/near Topsy Lane. This is an annual opportunity for STRAZZ to share some cheer with holiday shoppers.

36th Annual "Holiday Treat Concert"
Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019

The 36th Annual Holiday Treat Concert will be on Sunday, Dec. 15, 2019, starting at 4:00 p.m. in the Carson City Community Center's Bob Boldrick Theater. The Symphony will be joined by the Carson Chamber Singers, under the direction of their new Conductor, Bill Belcher, and the Victorian Dancers, dancing to music by Johann Strauss Jr. and Carson City composer J.P. Meder (1848-1908).

The program includes Leroy Anderson's "A Christmas Festival," John Rutter's arrangement of "Bring a Torch, Jeannette, Isabella," Handel's "Hallelujah Chorus," music from "The Polar Express," and many other treats.

Tickets are $18 general admission; $15 for seniors, students, and Symphony Association members; and free for youth age 18 and under. Tickets will be on sale at the Nevada Day Office, 716 N. Carson St., online at CCSymphony.com, and at the door. "Flex" tickets at discounted prices are available from the Symphony at 775-883-4154.

Further details about the concert are pending.

Christmas Carol Playalong for Strings
Friday, December 20, 2019

String players are invited to join the 11th annual Christmas Carol Playalong at the Carson Mall on Fri, Dec. 20, 2019, at 3:00 p.m. For registration and sheet music, contact Sue Jesch at 775-450-5584 or sue@tahoefiddler.com. Come and listen or come and play.

Carson City Symphony Association events are supported by the Nevada Arts Council and the National Endowment for the Arts, and by private donations.

Attached Photo: String instrument players of all ages at a previous Christmas Carol Playalong at Carson Mall.