Zephyr Singers Perform In Annual Christmas Concert

By MAGGIE MCMURRAY

Moapa Valley Progress

A capacity crowd filled the great hall of the Old Logandale School on Saturday evening, Dec. 9, to enjoy the holiday sounds of the Zephyr Singers at their annual Christmas concert. Made up of volunteers from the community who share a love of singing, the group is under the direction of Logandale resident Gaye Nelson. The annual Christmas concert has become a beloved holiday tradition for many local residents.

The opening number “Hark the Herald Angels Sing” featured a fantastic four-hand piano accompaniment played by long-time Zephyr accompanists Linda Lyon and Sherrie Whitney. The choir followed up with “For Unto Us a Child is Born,” a well-loved piece from Handel’s Messiah.

Zephyr singer Carolyn Jensen next shared the history of the song “O Holy Night,” the next number on the program. She told of how the song was banned at one point but still did not lose popularity saying, “It went from Christmas hymn to underground hit.”
The choir followed this song with a fun, upbeat, and rhythmic version of “God Rest Ye Merry Gentleman.”

The tenors and basses were featured next as they sang “Masters in This Hall,” which is an old French dancing song transformed into an English carol.
A vocal trio that included Tameran McClure, Rachelle McCombs, and Jenna Rhude, accompanied by Vicki Willard on the piano, sang a beautiful Christmas lullaby next called “A Manger Filled With Love.”

They were followed by a special number by the Zephyr Consort including Heather Lyon, Mary Lou Whitney, and Sherrie Whitney on recorders. They played a medley of Christmas tunes that included “God Rest Ye Merry Gentlemen,” “Angels We Have Heard on High,” and “Away in the Manger.”
Jane Solomon then took the stage on the flute; joined by Mary Lou Whitney on the hand drums; while the Zephyr ladies sang, “A Christmas Roundelay.”

Another number sung solely by the women, “O Come, O Come Emmanuel” sung entirely in its native Latin. The song was sung a capella and was arguably the most hauntingly beautiful song of the evening.
The ladies were once again joined by the men to finish out the evening with “The Holly and the Ivy,” “Silent Night,” “Thirty Second Fa La La,” and “We Wish You a Merry Christmas.”

The audience was appreciative of the beautiful music that was shared by the choir. Logandale resident Heather Walker, who attended with her young son, said, “The concert was absolutely wonderful. It’s a great way to start off the Christmas season.”

Heidi Vaitaiki from Las Vegas agreed, saying, “I thought the music was simply fantastic. For such a small choir they produce an amazing sound. I came all the way from Las Vegas to hear this concert and I wasn’t disappointed.”

Members of the Zephyr singers were also pleased with how they felt the concert went. First time performer with the choir, Alise McCauley, said, “We put a lot of time and energy into it and I was pleased with how it turned out.”

Next week’s performance of selections from the Messiah will take place on Sunday, December 17, also at the Old Logandale School. The concert is free of charge and will begin at 7 pm.