For 49 years, the Malad Valley Community Chorus has ushered in the Christmas season with a concert of holiday music.  This year’s “Born to Bring Us Joy” concert on Sunday, December 17, 2023, featured the 30 members of the Community Chorus under the direction of Ralph Bennett with Helen Ward as the accompanist.

This year Mr. Bennett selected four new songs and then went back over 10 years for songs that combined familiar carols with lesser known songs.  The Community Chorus sang “Welcome! Welcome! ‘Tis the Season” to begin the concert, followed by five songs celebrating the birth of Christ.

The women of the Chorus sang a Spanish-inspired number, “Shepherds’ Lullaby” that emphasized “Silent Night.” Not to be outdone, the men of the Chorus were featured in “Christ Child, Christ Child.”

Continuing a tradition that dates back to the Malad High School Christmas cantatas of the late 1940s through the early 1970s under the direction of music teacher Leon J. (Don) Castleton, the Community Chorus sang the “Hallelujah Chorus” from Handel’s “Messiah.”  Everyone who has ever sung this inspiring number with the Chorus was invited to join the Chorus for this number. Seven audience members joined the Chorus to sing after Mr. Bennett explained a little of the back story of Handel’s most famous oratorio.

Mark Jones, President of the Community Chorus, presented gift certificates to Ralph Bennett and Helen Ward to thank them for their hard work in preparing the Chorus for the Christmas concert. Mr. Bennett also thanked Maggie Lund, who had practiced with the Chorus to prepare for the concert but then had to turn the accompaniment duties over to Helen Ward when Maggie’s baby came earlier than expected.

The concert continued with four additional songs that were reminiscent of that first Christmas. The concert ended with its traditional “Christmas Love,” the song that has concluded the Community Chorus Christmas Concert for almost 50 years.