Valley Voices 'Celebrate the Season'

The Valley Voices Community Choir will present its Christmas concert, “Celebrate the Season,” twice this year, once at Glacier High School auditorium and a second time at Risen Christ Catholic Church in Evergreen. The concert will encompass a range of classic and modern music and performances by the full choir, a smaller group called Evensong, and the talents of Wai Mizutani and the Flathead Valley Community College orchestra.

At nearly 90 members, the choir has been directed by Allyson Kuechmann since its inception in 2000.

“We’ve been singing together for over 18 years now,” Kuechmann said, “and it just gets better every year. I’m so thrilled to lead this group of talented singers. It sends chills up my spine every time I lead them.”

Among the classics the choir will perform are “Angels We Have Heard on High,” “The Little Drummer Boy,” “O Holy Night,” and “Ave Maria.”

“But it’s not the ‘Ave Maria’ you’ll be expecting,” Kuechmann said. “This one was written by Gounod to go with a prelude composed by Bach. It’s very melodic and sneaks up on you before you realize it.”

And there are some unusually rhythmic songs in the collection. The spiritual, “Mary Sat a Rockin’” gets things moving and the classic Spanish carol, “Zumba Zumba,” keeps it going.

“I like to see movement and enthusiasm when I’m directing,” Kuechmann said. “Once the choir gets into these songs, enthusiasm is inevitable.”