-by Wayne Owens
Village Singers concluded its 15th Season with its Christmas Concert, “Glad Tidings” performed at The German Village Meeting Haus, this season Directed by Quinton Jones and accompanied by Dave Butler a recent graduate of Capital University.
Sacred and seasonal music from Winter Wonderland to Bolingo, a traditional Republic of Congo Christmas spiritual, were featured. Bidi Bom, a seasonal Jewish favorite was also performed to the delight of not only our audience but to our Singers.
Our Spring Show, “Movie Magicals” May 14-15, 2016, featured music from Sound of Music, James Bond, The Pink Panther, Grease, Chicago and on and on.
Village Singers welcome new members in all voices: Soprano, Alto, Tenor and Bass, no auditions necessary just the joy of music. Singers from not only the German Village area, but also from Worthington, Hilliard, Canal Winchester, Grove City, Westerville and more make up our singer list. For the past eight years, Village Singers has had the honor of singing The National Anthem at The Columbus Oktoberfest opening ceremonies.
Our 2017 Seasons first rehearsal is Monday, January 23, at 7 p.m. at The Meeting Haus, this Springs Concert. We meet in season on Mondays at 7 p.m. at The Meeting Haus and again we welcome new singers. For additional information please contact Wayne Owens at 614-446-2427 or at wowo@columbus.rr.com and on Facebook at Village Singers.
This year we sponsored two children from Fort Hayes Arts and Academic High School to the summer camp at Directions for Youth And Family thru our Scholarship Fund.
Our Village Singers Endowment Fund, established in 2013 with funds received form Patrons and Corporate Sponsors, has also sent students from Beck School and The Columbus Kinderchor to summer camps to the McConnell Arts Center and The Columbus Children’s Theater in past years. Comments from students include: “I got to sing for people I didn’t even know, WOW,” and, “I know now that I want to be a teacher and it was a lot of fun, can I do it next summer.” Contribution to The Village Singers Fund can be made online at https://squareup.com/store/thevillagesingers.
“ We Got Music” to be performed May 6-7, 2017, will feature music from many genres: Broadway, Gospel, Folk, Country, Blues, Jazz to name a few. We plan to add additional musicians, costuming and movements to this program. Our Spring Concert features a Patrons Dress Rehearsal sponsored by our corporate sponsors, Jeff Gilbert and Ameriprise Financial, The Leventhal Fund and Schmidt’s Restaurant and Sausage Haus. We perform a Taste of our Spring Concert along with a Taste of Several of our German Village restaurants for our Patrons who have contributed toward our Endowment Fund.
With the new audio and video enhancements in Brent Warner Fest Hall we have, thanks to our position as a unit of German Village Society, to certainly be more creative in our productions. Without the Society’s support, we would not exist. Their commitment to Community by providing rehearsal and performance space can not only be measured in dollars but in many many grateful singers for the countless hours of enjoyment.
Our membership from four singers way back then to 10-plus singers and musicians today is encouraging and again, come join us for an evening of social and music. I’ve read somewhere that Music soothes the Savage Beast, well not sure of all that but I do know that music is the Universal Language