The Willow Springs Arts Council and the STARS Foundation will host an evening of Christmas music performed by the Southern Ozarks Community Orchestra and the Stars Foundation. There will be two chances to see this concert entitled “Bells of Christmas with Handel’s Messiah.” It will be performed on Friday, December 3rd at the Star Theater in Willow Springs at 7PM. A second performance will be at the Melba Theater in Houston on Sunday, December 5th at 5PM. Admission is free.

The first part of the program will feature favorite seasonal selections including “The Bells of Christmas”, “The Christmas Song”, and a hand bell choir. The Carol of the Bells/God Rest Ye Merry gentlemen” will highlight violin soloist, Kyleigh Peterson. Music from the “Nutcracker” containing “Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy”, “Waltz of the Flowers”, “March of the Nutcracker”, and “Trepak” will also be performed. The last part of the program will be Handel’s Messiah and include the orchestra accompanying the 60-member choir. David Johnson and John Bailey will be featured soloists on “Angels from the Realms of Glory”.

Conductors for the performances will be Jodie Forbes from the Southern Ozarks Community Orchestra and Rebecca Peterson, Director of the STARS Foundation. The full 38-member orchestra consists of musicians from SOCO and the STARS Foundation.