The Tribune

By JEFFARAH GIBSON

Tribune Features Writer

jgibson@tribunemedia.net

AS PART of its “Mission in Ministry”, St Matthew’s Sunrise Choir and Friends will present its ninth annual Christmas production this weekend.

The event, which is being produced under the theme “Glad Tidings...Go Tell”, will feature special arrangements of Christmas carols, anthems and spirituals. It will be held on December 12-13 at the church and will begin at 7pm nightly.

Under the direction of Marjorie Knowles, the choir has developed an extensive repertoire covering everything from Bach and Broadway to folk hymns and foot-stomping gospel music. 

The Sunrise Choir’s annual production is something the local community looks forward to and the choir is happy to deepen its ministry of sharing Jesus’ gospel of love through song and dance, Ms Knowles told Tribune Religion. 

“We are focusing on the good news this year and how great the good news of Christmas really is. We are singing several genres of music. We are doing a little classical, gospel, R&B, Negro spiritual, rock and swing.”

Ms Knowles said the group anticipates that its production will have a great impact on those in attendance, especially given the theme for this year.

“Everywhere you turn you hear sad stories and bad news. But we want the world to know that there is some good news and there is some hope for the present and hope for the future,” she said. 

Over the past nine years, people in the community have grown to love and look forward to the Sunrise Choir’s Christmas production. Ms Knowles credits this to the fact that the group combines a variety of art forms such as song, dance, and drama and presents it in a unique way. 

“The production is like a pantomime and that is what people have come to love about this event. It is just under an hour and a half. We have a religious section and we have a secular section. We do not only sing religious songs, we are also singing secular music. We are also using costumes this year, for example Santa Claus, Mrs Claus, the elves and Rudolph the Reindeer. The event is usually a wonderful time and we expect people leaving feeling good,” she said. 

“Our theme is ministry and we just try to minister through song, dance and drama. Music is the language of heaven and God inhabits the praise of his people. That is why we like to praise God, because we like to bring God’s presence with us. We want to stay in his presence and bring his presence here at all time to break all chains.”