The holiday season is a time for giving back. Many a Christmas season memory has been made from voices singing Christmas carols in unison. Sampson Community College welcomed a large crowd to its Activity Center to create those same memories with a new tradition.
This week, more than thirty voices from across the county joined to form a community chorus and performed its very first concert to a large crowd of guests.
“What a great way to start the Christmas season,” said Dr. Paul Viser, Past President of the SCC Foundation Board and current SCC Board of trustees member. “A lively group of singers and musicians from all across the county came together on the SCC campus to help us make the transition from Thanksgiving. The auditorium was packed, and everyone clearly had a great time.”
The free event was sponsored by the SCC Foundation and featured several musical numbers not typically heard by a church choir. Songs included were A Family Christmas Spectacular, Do You Hear What I Hear?, Goin’ to Bethlehem, Angels in Seven, African Alleluia, Grinch! A Christmas Choral Medley, Vignette from “A Christmas Story”, ‘Twas the Night Before Christmas and The Christmas Song.
Music for the concert was borrowed from the Crystal Coast Choral Society of Swansboro under the direction of Finley Woolston; Sampson County School’s music teacher Cameron Someliana-Lauer; and Clinton First United Methodist Church music director Dan Holland. A Grinch costume was even loaned by Nissan of Clinton to the college for the special performance.
Lisa Turlington, Dean for Advancement at SCC, played a vital role in bringing the group together. “Over thirty voices came together to kick off the holiday season with sacred and secular songs,” she says. “The audience left full of Christmas spirit.”
The Sampson Singers consist of Carl Barr, Penny Lockerman, Amanda Bradshaw, Judie Matthews, Jane Brewer, Holly McMillen, Wendy Cabral, Kim Newton, Gabriel Capparuccia, Judi Nicholson, Joe Capps, Kay Raynor, Wanda Capps, Myrtle Sampson, Mary Jo Carr, Bill Scott, Hugh Carr, Meagan Sessoms, Laura Carraway, Frances Smith, Fatima Cedeño, Marquita Someliana-Lauer, Michelle Chancey, Cameron Someliana-Lauer, Dianne Cox, Judith Stallings, Barbara Dixon, Bill Starling, Daniel Floyd, Veronica Stevens, Mary Goodwin, Kathy Strapko, Barney Grady, Sarah Strickland, Kathryn Groretzka, Amelia Surrat, Mildred Gutierrez, Karen Sutton, Melanie Herring, Sarah Swartz, Gladys Hicks, Lisa B. Turlington, Dan Holland, Dawn Williamson, Susan Jernigan, Cindy Yaw, Amanda Jones, Libby Zaccardi and Durwood King.
Conductors for the event were Cameron Someliana-Lauer, Lara Capparuccia, Sean Capparuccia, and Dan Holland. Accompanists included Marquita Someliana-Lauer and Lara Capparuccia. The vignette was provided courtesy of Sampson Community Theatre.
“We all celebrate the opportunity to sing for our local church choirs,” Sampson Community College president and Sampson Singers member, Dr. Bill Starling said. “This performance featured music and voices from across the county.”
This was the first incarnation of the newly formed Sampson Singers and begins a tradition that the group hopes to carry on for years to come. For more information about the group, contact Lisa Turlington at [email protected].