Gadsden State’s music groups to present Christmas Showcase

Gadsden, Ala. — The Gadsden State Community College Show Band and A Cappella Choir is performing an entertaining show with holiday music of all styles during the annual Christmas Showcase. The free event is 6:30 p.m. Dec. 12 at the Wallace Hall Fine Arts Center.

“The program is multi-generational and will help create more excitement as we move closer to Christmas Day,” said J.T. Harrell, director of the choir. “As director, this is my favorite time of the year. People are always eager to hear Christmas music and celebrate the season of giving.”

The A Cappella Choir will open with a Ukrainian bell carol in honor of the people of Ukraine. Other highlights of the choir concert include “Christmas in Dixie,” “Christmas on Broadway,” “The Grinch Medley” and the classic Irving Berlin tune “White Christmas.”

The A Cappella Choir will also perform at a community concert at 6:30 p.m. Dec. 13 at First United Methodist Church of Gadsden. 

Desmond Mitchell, the director of the show band, said he worked with the students when choosing song selections for the upcoming Christmas Showcase.

“We based our program on the premise that we want to reach everyone in the audience, which we hope will consist of a variety of ages and ethnicities,” he said. “We also wanted to make sure that the program is fun and will showcase the strong elements of our band.”

A few of the song selections are “Merry Christmas Darling,” “All I Want for Christmas is You,” “This Christmas” and “Mary, Did You Know?

Mitchell said he looks forward to hosting several concerts during the spring semester, including a Black History Month performance and the annual Gadsden State Jazz Festival.

“We’re looking to push the envelope with a large variety of music next semester,” he said. “We plan on exploring the realms of jazz, soft rock, heavy metal and modern pop.”

For more information about the A Cappella Choir and Show Band, visit gadsdenstate.edu/finearts.