November 21, 2011
11/22/11 With months of practice and rehearsal time under their belts the Marshall County Church Orchestra and LifePlex Dance Academy presented their annual Concert and Dessert and Christos’ Banquet Center. Performing before sellout crowds both Thursday and Friday evenings last week the “Festival of Carols” was a huge success.
Orchestra leader Don Harness chose the music for the program and dance instructor Marcia Heinztberger wrote the narration and choreographed the dances. With the combined orchestra and dance members there were over sixty men, women and children who took part in the production.
The “Festival of Carols” began with the famous carol “Good King Wenceslas”. Narrator Cindy Flagg welcomed the audience to the court of King Wenceslas and his queen for an evening of merriment and entertainment to begin the holiday season. The production continued with several well-known Christmas hymns and carols plus a unique rendition of “The Twelve Days of Christmas” and the dancers acting out “The Night Before Christmas” as the orchestra played. The program finale consisted of an all cast presentation of everyone’s favorite Christmas tune, “Jingle Bells”.
Throughout the performance vocals were provided by Elizabeth Szalay, Rosemary Szalay and Marcia Heintzberger. Several songs were presented in sign language by Diane Laudeman. Mewsette Cartwright provided additional choreography.
The Marshall County Church Orchestra is an all-volunteer, inter-denominational, multi-generational organization. The group will be taking a break during the month of December and will begin rehearsals again in January of 2012. The orchestra is always seeking new members. Anyone interested in joining the orchestra may call Don Harness at 574-936-7357.
Photo: Marshall County Church Orchestra leader presented honorariums to Marcia Heintzberger and Mewsette Cartwright both from Lifeplex Dance Academy and a note of thanks to Chris Kutris of Christos’ Banquet Center.
Rosemary and Elizabeth Szalay (with their mother) provided vocals during the “Festival of Carols”.