MASON CITY – The North Iowa Area Community College (NIACC) Concert Choir and NIACC Singers return to public performance on Saturday, December 3, 2022, at 3 p.m. to present their Winter Concert “Let it Glow.”
The Concert Choir continues to recover from the COVID-19 pandemic, and is 50% larger than last year’s ensemble. “I am super excited about the growth of the program. The quality of our choir singers is also super high. They have handled all of this great collegiate material with ease! I think they are excited and proud of what they’ve accomplished.” said NIACC Director of Choral Activities, Jayson Ryner.
The college’s select ensemble, the NIACC Singers has fully recovered from the pandemic and features its full complement of twenty-four singers, again 50% larger than last year. Also back is student international travel. The group will sing on board carnival cruise lines over spring break.
The semester has not been without its challenges. Ryner was out for two weeks following a late October accident. Student leaders Dayne Meyers and Alex Shultz with accompanist Dr. Matt Gender worked together to help the choir memorize music in the conductors absence, and Captain Emily Read took charge of administrative tasks. “I am super grateful for these student leaders! It’s not easy to lead your peers and they did a great job when thrust in beyond the usual expectation.” Ryner said.
In his 22st year at the College, Ryner says the depth of the ensembles is impressive. “Some of our music divides into 11 or 12 parts. That makes only two people on some parts singing against the rest.” he said. Once again, choir members chose to bring a Christmas Holiday theme to the stage. Featured seasonal selections include “That’s Christmas to Me,” “Deck the Halls,” and other not as well-known holiday selections. Other music that fits within the message of the season and traditional choral literature learned prior to the holiday season will be included.
“Because we start rehearsing in August, we also have material from the first month of the semester that will be crafted into the theme,” said Ryner.
General admission tickets for the December 3 concert are available by calling the NIACC Box Office at 641-422-4188 and may also be purchased at the door. Admission is $10 for adults and $7 for students.
