Sean C. Morgan
Sweet Home Singing Christmas Tree is seeking more members as it begins rehearsals this week.
Rehearsals started Tuesday and are held every Tuesday and Thursday at 7 p.m.
Rehearsals are two hours long and held in the high school choir room, 1641 Long St., behind the auditorium at the east end of the high school.
The tree choir is open to singers from all around the county, said board President Sue Olson. It currently has members from Albany, Lebanon and Sweet Home.
There are no auditions to become a member of the choir, she said. The tree has a capacity of 75. Postcards have been sent to many past members in hopes of reaching that goal this year.
Singers under age 18 need to fill out a parental permission form.
Performances will be at 7:30 p.m. Dec. 7 and Dec. 8 and at 3:30 p.m. on Dec. 9.
David Dominy resigned as director of the choir. Don Bacher of Albany will direct this year.
“Don and the Board of Directors met this past winter, finding a great fit for the tree,” Olson said.
“He has been working with us since March, and together, we are planning a great program. Our theme this year is ‘Star Led – Wonder Bound.’”
Bacher brought the song by that name to the Singing Christmas Tree, Olson said.
“We felt its title worked well as a theme. We have chosen a variety of songs to work on, some familiar to the choir and some new. There will be standard Christmas carols as well as some unique and deeply powerful newly published Christmas songs.”
Bacher has lived in Albany since 1979. He holds a bachelor of arts degree in secondary music education from Goshen College in Goshen, Ind., and a master’s degree in secondary education from Indiana University.
He’s taught music and conducted at the middle and high school levels, spent two years with the Mennonite Central Committee in Jamaica, teaching music and directed bands and choirs in a junior-secondary school and spent a year in Iowa directing the orchestra and choir at Iowa Mennonite School. He’s also served as a song leader and choir director for 45 years in various churches.
“It is my hope that over the next three months we can have fun, be musically challenged and cele-brate the birth of Christ through the music we learn together.”