Young people from Carroll, Frederick and Howard counties will gather in Mount Airy on Sunday afternoon to present a Community Christmas Choral Concert to benefit Mount Airy NET.
Vocalists from South Carroll High School, Linganore High School and the Calvary United Methodist Youth Choir will be featured in the one-hour event that begins at 3 p.m. in the sanctuary of Calvary Church, 403 S. Main St., Mount Airy.
Organizers are hoping the community will turn out for the free concert, which has been orchestrated as a fund-raiser for the nonprofit organization. An offering will be collected.
Mount Airy NET, an ecumenical organization founded in June 1993, was created to involve area clubs, civic groups, various levels of government, volunteers, and churches to provide food, clothing, shelter, and other essentials to the less fortunate. Students participating in the concert will earn community service hours toward their high school graduation requirements.
The Linganore High School Chamber Ensemble and Mixed Chorus will be directed by vocal music teacher Nancy Carter. Twenty-eight voices in this group will sing a mixture of classical and Alfred Burt carols -- both accompanied and a cappella.
The South Carroll High School Madrigals are 16 students who are divided equally among each harmonic group, according to vocal music teacher Kevin King. At Sunday's concert, the soprano, alto, tenor, and bass sections will perform a mixture of classical and traditional holiday music -- mostly a cappella.
Calvary's Youth Choir is composed of 36 singers in the sixth through 12th grades. Carol Isemann of Mount Airy is the director of the choral group that specializes in youth-oriented contemporary Christian music that is featured bimonthly at Calvary's 9:30 a.m. Sunday worship. The youth will also sing at Calvary's 7 p.m. Christmas Eve service.
The audience will help open and close the concert by singing carols, according to Calvary's pastor, the Rev. Carol Yocum.
Tickets or reservations are not necessary -- everyone is invited. For information, call (301) 829-0358.
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Area children will have two opportunities to share a morning pancake and sausage meal with Kris Kringle on Saturday at the Breakfast with Santa sponsored by the Knights of Columbus of Saint Michael's Catholic Church.
Reservations are required at either of the breakfast sittings, which will be held from 8 a.m. to 9 a.m. and from 9 a.m. to 10 a.m. The cost of the meal will be $4 for adults and $2.50 for children. Fruit and beverages are included.
Call Carol Mead at (410) 549-2649 or Carmen Peltzer at (301) 829-1502 as soon as possible for reservations.
Saint Michael's Church is located at 1200 Saint Michael's Road, in Poplar Springs -- the Howard County area of Mount Airy.
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Thanks to the local Jaycees, Saint Nick will bring special holiday wishes to Mount Airy little ones -- in person.
The annual Santa Visits project will be held Sunday through Dec. 17 as a fund-raiser for the club's annual Needy Children's Christmas Party.
Mount Airy's Jaycees are taking appointments for the Santa Visits to children's homes each evening, from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Time restraints require that Santa visits take place in the 21771 ZIP code area only.
Santa, who will be chauffeured by Jaycee volunteers, will bring a candy cane to each child. Parents are encouraged to keep their cameras handy.
The Jaycees are requesting a donation of $10 per house visit for up to four children. They also ask for an additional $2 per child for each extra child at one location.
Donations will help spread Christmas joy to area children who otherwise might not have a merry holiday. Each December, the Jaycees invite less fortunate girls and boys to a celebration.
At the party, Santa brings at least one gift selected for each young guest. The Jaycees are expecting 30 children at this year's party. Help, as always, is appreciated in fulfilling this special Santa mission.
To make an appointment for a Santa Visit, call (301) 829-2778 from 9 a.m. to 6 p.m. or (301) 831-5475 from 6 to 9 p.m.
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Two new Christmas carols composed and written by David Marcum will be premiered at the
evening Community Christmas Concert this Sunday at the Mount Airy Chapel of the Church of Latter Day Saints.
Linnea Capps, event choir director, said Mr. Marcum creates a new carol each time his wife gives birth. The father of four has created a quartet of carols.
The new carols will be among the music performed by the combined adult choirs from the Mount Airy and Damascus congregations, she said. A children's choir will also be featured in the one-hour program.
Music for the concert will be performed by the married piano duo, Andrew Zatman and Marilyn Briant, of Rockville. "They will be playing six duets," said Mrs. Capps.
The concert is free and open to the public. Refreshments will follow the community songfest. The Mount Airy chapel is located on Route 27, across from Watkins Park. For information, call (301) 831-0475.
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Vocalists from Linganore High School are having a busy holiday season.
Members of the school's various vocal groups perform today in Baltimore's Galleria and Harbor Place, at the Mount Airy Community Concert on Sunday afternoon, and during the live holiday radio broadcast on Dec. 18 from the Weinberg Center in Frederick.
Linganore's Holiday Band and Chorus Concert will be held on Dec. 15 at 7:30 p.m. in the school auditorium, 12013 Old Annapolis Road, Frederick.
Director Nancy Carter said Linganore's choral students plan to travel to Canada in April to participate in the Heritage Music Festival in Toronto.
, Information: (301) 865-5555.