Residents fill L.B. church for Christmas concert
By Patrick Fujiike
Daily Forty-Niner
Ringing in the start of the Christmas season,
Long Beach residents and choirs packed into the First Congregational Church
in downtown Long Beach this weekend to attend the Winter Festival Concert.
More than 2,000 showed up to the annual
event held Saturday and Sunday, said Leland Vail, festival producer and
music professor at Cal State Long Beach.
Built in 1914, the historic church is decorated
with stained wood paneling and has large stained-glass windows.
The church also has a horseshoe balcony
and a 72-rank pipe organ.
"It was just as memorable as it was when
I performed in 1969," said Mary Kay Woudenberg, a current alumni choir
member and member of the first CSULB choir.
The festival included performances by choir
groups from the CSULB music department.
Performing Saturday were Chamber Singers,
University Choir, British Brass Band, Improvoz and Pacific Bells.
The Pacific Bells group is made up of six
people playing gold bells, which ranged in size from the small hand-held
type to basketball-sized bells.
The group played the songs "Gloria,"
"Silent Night," "Arab Dance," "Sleigh Ride" and "What Child Is This?"
This part of the festival seemed to be
the most appreciated part of the day because after each song the audience
greeted the group with a thunderous applause.
Some attending the festival were overwhelmingly
pleased with the performances.
"Today's Winter Festival Concert was outstanding,"
said Rubi Sobieski, who is a secretary for the city of Long Beach and a
resident of the city.
"It was a great way to start the Christmas
season." |
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