GEM's 4th Annual Violins & Voices Concert Brings Christmas Cheer [Photo Gallery]
The 4th Annual Violins & Voices Classical Christmas Concert raised almost $500 for the GEM Center Adult Day Services while spreading holiday joy through the musical sounds of some the Outer Banks’ most talented local performers.
The fundraiser concert kicked off the local Christmas season on Saturday, Dec. 1, at St. Andrews Church in Nags Head, hosted again this year by local personality Courtney Gallop.
Organist David Spangler opened the show with “The Joy of Christmas” and was then joined by Angelo Sonnesso on vocals for “Comfort Ye, Every Valley”, and later “O Holy Night”. Dorothy Molz then joined Spangler for “Some Children See Him”, followed by 10-year-old Will Haresch’s “Little Drummer Boy” on piano.
Faye and Scott Parisella joined Spangler to sing a duet of “Panis Angelicus”, and again later on “Once in Royal David’s City” along with Sonnesso.
Outer Banks violinists Stacey Walters and Sue Artz performed “Ukrainian Bell Choir”, “Alleluia”, and two festive medleys following a 10-minute intermission.
Sonnesso returned after the break for his solo rendition of “Jesus, Thanks I Bring” on vocals and piano, as Haresch then performed the popular “Overture from the Nutcraker Suite”, and later “Rudolph the Red Nose Reindeer”, also on piano, and Molz dramatically read the poem “I Heard the Bells on Christmas Day”.
The concert reached its culmination as all of the performers joined in on the finale, “Silent Night”.
You can view more of our exclusive photos from the concert in our gallery below!
(click an image to enlarge)
[Photos by Artz Music & Photography]
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