ROANOKE TIMES
Copyright (c) 1996, Roanoke Times
DATE: Friday, December 13, 1996 TAG: 9612130029
SECTION: CURRENT PAGE: NRV-3 EDITION: NEW RIVER VALLEY
COLUMN: out & about
SOURCE: DONNA ALVIS-BANKS
The littlest angels will join voices Sunday at 3 p.m. in the Auburn High School auditorium.
Voices in Harmony, a children's choir sponsored by Radford University's Community Arts School, will perform songs of the season from many lands. Betty Turner directs the 21 girls in this choir.
"It's a very select group," Turner said, noting that the girls were chosen by audition. "They're all lovely singers."
Ranging in age from 9 to 14 and representing different parts of the New River Valley, the singers bring a variety of interests to the group. The one thing they all have in common is a love of music.
Sunday's program is a diverse selection of works that includes an Indie carol, "Lina Avatara," a Calypso carol, "Sing for Christmas" and the traditional English "Sussex Carol."
Other works are "Hanukkah Will Soon Be Here," "African Noel" and "Maria Walks Amid the Thorn," a medieval German song specially arranged by Turner.
Radford University senior Kari Flora will join the children as a soloist in Bach's "Schafe Konnen sicher weiden" (Sheep May Safely Graze). Flora also is the assistant director.
Flutists Erika Pawlowski and Alexander Myers are the guest artists. Both are music majors at the university. Mary Rae is the accompanist.
The concert is free and open to everyone. Auburn High is on Virginia 8 in Riner.
BIGGER ANGELS: You'll hear their silvery sounds Saturday at the Blacksburg Master Chorale's annual holiday concert. It starts at 8 p.m. in Blacksburg United Methodist Church, 111 Church St.
These grown-up singers also come from all over the New River Valley. Founded in 1988, the chorale has twice performed concerts in Europe and is always a popular draw here at home.
Saturday, you can expect to hear excerpts from everyone's holiday favorite - "The Messiah." In addition to Handel's masterwork, the singers will render Fred Waring's arrangement of pieces from Tchaikovsky's "Nutcracker Suite." A set of carols completes the program.
Soloists are Amanda Fields, soprano; Cynthia Blevins, alto; and Craig Fields, baritone. Kevin Fenton is the director.
Tickets, $8 for adults or $4 for students and senior citizens, will be available at the door. Again this year, part of the proceeds will go to the Blacksburg Interfaith Food Pantry.
HO! HO! OH, NO! Santa is ready to hang up the shiny black belt for good. Christmas, he fears, is just getting too materialistic.
Where's the true spirit of Christmas, anyway?
You'll find out what happens when Santa decides he's had enough at the current production of "When Santa Up and Quit!" The play, a benefit for the Montgomery County Christmas Store, shows tonight and Saturday at 8 and Sunday afternoon at 2 in the Wesley Foundation. It's on West Roanoke Street in Blacksburg.
Tonya Bowyer of Playmakers & Company community theater is the director. Scott Stevens (yes, of KOOL Country radio fame) is Santa. The cast also features a crew of cute and highly intelligent children from around here.
Tickets for the show are $5. To make reservations, call 382-6432.
TO SEE IS TO APPRECIATE: "All Good Gifts," an exhibit of works by more than 20 local artists from the New River and Roanoke areas, is on display at Glade Baptist Church. It remains through Dec. 29.
The congregation of Glade Baptist will celebrate Advent on Sunday with a special program of music and visual arts at the 11 a.m. worship service. Joe and Peggy Borden composed the music to accompany verse written by Wanda Morehead, Judy and Edd Sewell and Elizabeth Spencer for this event. After the service, there will be a meet-the-artists reception for those participating in the exhibit. It runs from 12:30 to 2 p.m.
The church gallery is open to the public Mondays and Wednesdays from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m. and Sundays from 10 to 11 a.m. Appointments also are available by calling 552-3394.
Of course, everyone is invited to Sunday's celebration and reception.
The church is at 1600 Glade Road in Blacksburg.
HOMES FOR THE HOLIDAYS: Five historic homes in downtown Floyd will be open for tours Saturday from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. The event is a benefit sponsored by the Floyd County Friends of the Library.
Tickets are $5 and are available at all branches of the Montgomery-Floyd Regional Library.
These beautiful homes will be all spruced up and waiting for you:
* The Howard-Munsey house, 204 W. Main St.
* The home of Gayle and Olin Griffin, 410 E. Main St.
* The Burris-McGrath home, 209 W. Main St.
* The home of Mrs. Zonie Spencer, 406 E. Main St.
* The home of Tom and Jeanie O'Neill, 414 E. Main St.
For more information on the tour, call the Jessie Peterman Memorial Library at 745-2947.
MORE FUN THAN A BARREL OF PICKLES: Ralph Stanley plays the kind of music that makes you conjure up the pickle barrel over at the country store.
The banjo-pickin' bluegrass baron will bring his band, the Clinch Mountain Boys, to Dublin's New River Community College on Saturday for the monthly jamboree put on by the Division of Arts and Sciences. This special holiday jamboree also features the Original Orchard Grass Band.
Doors open at 5 p.m. at the jamboree site in Edwards Hall. Live music runs from 7 to 10 p.m.
Don't forget your cloggers. As always, winners of the dance contest win a cash prize.
Admission to the jamboree is free, but they'll be passing the hat to help pay traveling expenses for the bands.
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