Crown choir holds spring concert

The Crown of the Continent Choir will present its 11th annual spring concert on Sunday, May 5 at the O’Shaughnessy Center in Whitefish.

The concert theme this year is Walk in Beauty featuring heartwarming and impressive lyrics. Musical selections include works by Lauridsen, Rutter, Runstad, Naylor, Wailin’ Jennys, Billy Joel, and many others.  

The non-auditioned Crown Choir welcomes singers of all ages and experiences to share the joys of choral music. The mission is to sing for fun and to serve the community. Crown Choir performances are free to the public and all, but the spring finale is a benefit concert for local charities and community causes. Last season’s concerts raised more than $7,000 for area nonprofits including Mountain View Mennonite Church, Sparrow’s Nest, Flathead Warming Center, Samaritan House, and the historic St. Ignatius Mission restoration project. This year the choir was honored to receive the annual Peace Quilt Award, which recognizes individuals and organizations who strive to make our community and world a better place. 

This year’s final concert is a culmination of many musical styles, familiar in composition and often packing quite a punch. In addition to a wide array of choral music, there will be a solo performance by Crown Choir’s accompanist Meghan Hodges. Special guest cellist Lee Zimmerman will also perform. 

Choir Director Craig Naylor is a gifted leader whose artistic vision gives the 35-member choir freedom to sing their hearts out while inspiring an unmatched level of professionalism, according to the group.

Walk in Beauty is free to the public. Doors open at 3 p.m. with a silent auction featuring a variety of unique acoustic instruments and other select items. There will also be a grand prize drawing for two tickets to the Under the Big Sky music festival. The concert begins at 4 p.m. For more information visit chrownchoir.org or email craigtnaylor@gmail.com.