High Desert Chorale will perform Christmas show Dec. 7 at Nugget

Christmas decorations were going up as early as Halloween this year at the local Walmart so it is understandable if people have a hard time getting into the Christmas spirit.

The Pahrump Arts Council hopes to rectify that situation with its annual Christmas concert on Wednesday, Dec. 7 at 7 p.m. at the Pahrump Nugget Event Center.

The PAC’s High Desert Chorale will present its Christmas concert, its annual gift to the community, with a selection of wonderful music and some surprises.

The chorale director is Andy Barnum, who has been directing music for the group for the past 13 seasons.

Before heading this choral group, Barnum taught school and music for over 30 years. The director has lived in Pahrump for the past 19 years and loves working with the High Desert Chorale.

“It’s been challenging over the years,” Barnum said. “Mainly because there is no audition for our group and I get to work with so many different people with many different backgrounds in music. And of course, that has been a lot of fun.”

According to the council, one favorite will be sure to please: “The Twelve Days After Christmas” – a spoof on the original “Twelve Days of Christmas” – that will bring smiles and laughs. The chorale will sing a few songs never before heard by their audiences, including a fun “Santa Baby” from years gone by, and will include some audience participation songs.

Come and help us “sing in” the holiday season with a pleasing choral concert. Admission as always is two non-perishable food items that will be distributed to a local food bank, or $5 per person. All donations will be accepted to help purchase music for the High Desert Chorale.

The group gives two concerts a year, one in early April and this one to start off the Christmas season. They have sung a variety of literature, semi-classical choral works, folk songs, traditional songs, pop songs and novelty songs in their thirteen years of existence.

Come and join them, the choir members that participate make rehearsal time a lot of fun. To join, a person doesn’t have to have a lot of choir-singing experience. Many of the members hadn’t sung since high school. Some had never sung in choirs. But they have enough members with experience to help keep the rest of the choir members singing the right notes. For some reason, they are lacking in male voices and encourage men to join.

Rehearsals will begin in January in preparation for the annual spring concert. Call 775-751-6776 for more information.

Contact reporter Vern Hee at vhee@pvtimes.com. He is also a member of the High Desert Chorale.