When the herald angel sings his glory again this year, it will be beneath the leafy canopy of the Memorial Gardens gazebo.
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With representatives of all five denominations, Junee’s church community will host its annual community carols on Sunday. The venue having been chosen by the Presbyterian Church has been promised to deliver ample outdoor acoustics.
“It’s the most important thing on the Christian calendar,” said the combined church’s Cheryl Carter.
“For something as special as Christmas we want to put aside whatever differences we might have and just get out into the community.
“It’s about sharing with the community the real reason for the season, Jesus’ love for the world.”
Special performances will be given by the schools but the main entertainment will come through the town band and choir.
“We are so incredibly privileged each year to have such an incredible band to lead our carols,” said church committee member Dale Asmus.
“It really is an enormous privilege to have them, not many other small towns have one.”
Having just finished a short set at last weekend’s Christmas on Broadway, the band and choir are now just beginning their busiest season. The evening’s carols will follow a performance at the farmer’s market that morning.
Following the event in Junee, the band will travel to Ganmain on December 14 for another caroling session.
While the musicians are yet unsure which songs will be on the list for the weekend, previous years have always proven the treat.
“Last year we did the Hallelujah Chorus, but without a full choir this year that might not work,” said band master Keith Griffin.
“We’re already talking about next year, maybe we might be able to do it again with other parts [of Handel’s Messiah] too.”
Choir conductor Fran Griffith recently wrote a medley of Australian carols from the 1920s and 1930s.
“We like to widen what Christmas music means to people, there’s a lot available out there,” said Mr Griffith.
“There’s a lot that used to be done even in churches but that’s relatively unheard of these days. We want to bring them back.”
With the community encouraged to bring their best singing voices, Mr and Mrs Griffin is hopeful the night might even prompt some new recruits to the band and choir.
“The focus is always to get the community singing along to some of the traditional carols, so the band and choir are there just to facilitate the singalong,” said Mr Griffin.
A free barbecue will begin in the gardens at 5pm before the carols commence at 6pm.