A Bel Canto Christmas

Jesse Cosby Community Collective
Sharrie Wright, Director
Min. Victor Evans, Keyboardist
Min Willie Rocket, Bass
Dennis Brown, Drums

Oh Holy Night
Michael McElroy & Broadway Inspirational Voices

Oh Come Emmanuel
Joseph Joubert and Michael Mc Elroy

Now Behold the Lamb
Kirk Franklin

Mary Did You Know
Mark Lowry & Buddy Greene

Jesus, Oh What a Wonderful Child
Dr. Charles Hayes and Cosmopolitan Choir

Waverly-Shell Rock Chamber Choir
Greg Wessel, Director
Denise Hull, Pianist

Caroling, Caroling
Music by Alfred Burt
Arranged by Michele Weir

In Dulci Jubilo*
Arranged by Matthew Culloton

Translation: 
In Dulci Jubilo
[In quiet joy]
Now sing with hearts aglow!
Our delight and pleasure lies
[in a manger]
Like sunshine is our treasure
[in the mother's lap]
[Thou art Alpha and Omega]

2.
[O tiny Jesus]
For thee I long alway;
Comfort my heart's blindness,
[O best of boys]
With all Thy loving kindness,
[O Prince of glory]
 [draw me unto thee]

3.
[O love of the Father]
[O gentleness of the Son]
Deeply were we stainèd
[through our sins]
But Thou for us hast gainèd
[the joy of heaven]
O that we were there!

4.
[where are joys]
In any place but there?
There are angels singing
[new songs]
And there the bells are ringing
[in the king's court]
O that we were there!

Gloria Fanfare
Jeffery L. Ames

Piano Duet
Bethany Brooks and Denise Hull

Sleigh Ride
Music by Leroy Anderson, Words by Mitchell Parish
Arranged by Michael Edwards
Christine Anderson, Megan Drinovsky, percussion

Waverly-Shell Rock Chamber Choir and Bel Canto Cedar Valley
Greg Wessel, Director
Denise Hull, Pianist

Glow
Words by Edward Esch
Music by Eric Whitacre

Piano Duet
Bethany Brooks and Denise Hull

Christmas Medley
By Adolphe Charles Adam, James Pierpont, Joe Beal, James Boothe, and Franz Gruber
Arranged by Kyunghoon Kim

Bel Canto Cedar Valley
Alice Reid Pruisner, Director
Bethany Brooks, Pianist

O Come, All Ye Faithful
Arranged by Jackson Berkey

O Magnum Mysterium*
By Morten Lauridsen

Translation: 
O magnum Mysterium,
eat admirable sacramentum
ut animal is viderent Dominum
natum, jacentum in praesepio!
Beata Virgo, cujus viscera
meruerunt portare 
Dominum Christum, Alleluia!

O great mystery,
and wonderful sacrament,
that animals should see the new-born Lord, 
lying in their manger!
Blessed is the Virgin whose womb
was worthy to bear the
Lord Jesus Christ. Alleluia!

Angels We Have Heard on High
Arranged by Alice Parker and Robert Shaw

Sparklejollytwinklejingley
From the Broadway musical Elf
Lyrics by Chad Beguelin
Music by Matthew Sklar
Arranged by Andy Beck
Zachary Rogers, Soloist
Abby Mott, Flute
Daniel Becker, Clarinet
Jay Ramsey, Tenor Sax
Ethan Jacobsen, Trumpet 1
Leo Stineman, Trumpet 2
Ben Stineman, Trombone
Mac Brandt, Bass Guitar
Megan Drinovsky, Drum set

Combined Choirs

Joy to the World
Arranged by Michael McElroy, Joseph Joubert, and Buryl Red
Bethany Brooks, Pianist
Mac Brandt, Bass Guitar
Megan Drinovsky, Drum set
Alice Reid Pruisner, Director

Sharrie Wright
Sharrie (Jordan) Wright migrated to Waterloo with her family when her father, the late Rev. L. J. Jordan was elected Pastor of Union Missionary Baptist Church. Sharrie was very young at the time so, though not born here, she has been raised and nurtured by the village of Waterloo, IA. Sharrie comes from a singing family. The “Jordanheirs” have been known to spread the love of God around the midwest since the early 50’s.

Sharrie began teaching, directing and playing for her first choir at age 11 at Union Baptist Church. She has been involved in the music ministry for over 60 years serving in various churches as the Minister of Music, musician, director and soloist. She has served in that capacity as well in the Iowa Missionary Educational Baptist Convention as well as the Eastern District Association. 

Sharrie earned a Bachelor of Science in Elementary Education from Upper Iowa University and a Masters of Arts in Education Administration from the University of Northern Iowa. She's served in the Waterloo Community School District for 42 years. She began as a para educator, an elementary teacher then a Family Support Worker. Her last 24 years have been in administration spending 4 years at elementary, 4 years at middle school and the remainder at the high school level. 

Sharrie is currently serving at the Antioch Baptist Church under the Pastoral leadership of Rev. Charles Daniel. She considers herself a servant and lives a “God 1st” life according to Matthew 6:33. Her favorite scripture however comes from Romans 8: 38 - 39. (38) “For I am persuaded, that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor powers, nor things present, nor things to come, (39) nor height not depth nor any other creature, shall be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus.”

She is married to Charles Wright, and has 1 son Darrian Jordan, 1 grandson, Dallas Jordan and 1 great-grandson, Ni'Mir.

Greg Wessel
Greg Wessel is the high school vocal music director at Waverly Shell Rock High School.  He is in his 34th year of teaching, the last thirteen being at W-SR. Mr. Wessel received his BME at the University of Northern Iowa and his Masters of Education at Viterbo University.  Past music ensembles at W-SR have performed with the UNI Women’s Chorus, the Metropolitan Chorale, The Bel Canto of the Cedar Valley, and most recently they collaborated with the Wartburg Symphony, performing Handel’s “Messiah.”  W-SR is well represented with students being chosen every year for the All State Chorus, and also performing at the outstanding performance festival associated with the State Small Group Contest.  Also, the Chamber Choir consistently receives division I ratings at State Large Group Contest.  Mr. Wessel is the father of four grown children and lives in Waverly with his wife Angie.

Alice Reid Pruisner
Alice Reid Pruisner is the Founder and Artistic Director of Bel Canto Cedar Valley. She graduated with honors from Augustana College in Rock Island, IL with an undergraduate degree in Vocal Music Education and from The University of Northern Iowa with a Master of Music degree in Choral Conducting. Ms. Pruisner has experience conducting choirs of all ages, and is especially passionate about community building and outreach. Ms. Pruisner lives in Cedar Falls with her husband, two daughters, and mini dachshund.

Ensembles

Jesse Cosby Community Collective
Located in the heart of Waterloo, the Jesse Cosby Center has been dedicated to keeping and enhancing the quality of life for neighborhood families. For over 50 years, the center has provided senior services with an adult day center and meals on wheels. The center also provides services for the disabled, the sick, shut-ins, the homeless, and low-income households in crisis by providing connections to financial assistance programs and services. 

Mr. Jesse Cosby, the center founder, was born in 1907 in Jefferson County, Alabama. He always had a passion for music, and as a shoeshine in Alabama, he was known as the "kid with the musical cloth." Because of segregation he was not able to study music formally, but instead studied under tutors who recognized his ability. Using his musical talents and square-dance-calling skills, Jesse Cosby was responsible for creating some of Cedar Valley's first racially integrated social venues, bringing the community together in a radical way. In 1950, his efforts were recognized at the National White House Conference on Children and Youth in Washington, D.C. It was here that he began organizing a traveling choir that traveled and performed throughout Iowa, Illinois and Minnesota. The proceeds from the choir were intended for a community and recreation center - a dream that wouldn't actualize during his life. 

In the past the Jesse Cosby Community choir was born from Jesse Cosby’s legacy and his love of music. The current choir is a continuation of the past choir, Mr. Jesse Cosby's dream continues. The present day Jesse Cosby Community Collective Choir was created from a conversation and request to create a gospel choir for the soul purpose to perform in the Bel Canto “Songs of the Season” 2023 performance. Creators Debra Hodges Harmon and Josette Bates, under the direction of Mrs. Sharrie Wright, amateur and professional musicians from across the Cedar Valley and various church communities were invited to come together. The beautiful sounds of the Jesse Cosby Community Collective Choir have united some of the best and most amazing voices and singers to share in the gospel of music.  The mission statement of the Jesse Cosby Center is “Dedicated to keeping and enhancing the quality of life for our neighborhood families-through stewardship of resources and shared responsibility,” and the JCCCC is just another way to continue to bring the community together through music.

Waverly-Shell Rock Chamber Choir
The Waverly Shell Rock Chamber Choir is an auditioned ensemble that meets daily. This ensemble consists of Seniors, Junior and Sophomores. In the past, the Chamber Choir has performed with; The Bel Canto for the Cedar Valley, The Metropolitan Chorale and the Wartburg Community Symphony Orchestra.  Members of this ensemble have participated in the All State Chorus, and many students dedicate their time to the musical, jazz choir, honor festivals and small group contest. The Chamber Choir consistently receives division I ratings at the Iowa State Large Group Contest.
 

Bel Canto Cedar Valley
Bel Canto Cedar Valley is a premiere auditioned-based chamber choir serving communities throughout the Cedar Valley. Its mission is to contribute to the cultural enrichment of the communities it serves by promoting quality choral music, exploring vast and varied choral repertoire, and encouraging music as a life-long passion. BCCV was founded in 2012, and has joyfully spent the last decade forging musical ties throughout the Cedar Valley with local composers, instrumentalists, venues, and other performing groups including the WCF Symphony Orchestra, the Wartburg Community Symphony Orchestra, the Metropolitan Chorale, and public-school choirs from Cedar Falls, Waterloo, Aplington-Parkersburg, and Waverly-Shell Rock, to name a few. Bel Canto Cedar Valley’s members come from a wide array of backgrounds and professions and we are thrilled to bring the spirit of community music to the Gallagher stage along with the Jesse Cosby Community Collective and the Waverly-Shell Rock Chamber Choir. To find out more about BCCV or how you can be involved, please go to our website at belcantocedarvalley.org.  
 

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Jesse Cosby Community Collective Choir

The Cosby Family
Waterloo East High School
Jesse Cosby Board of Directors
Payne AME Church
Antioch Baptist Church
Union Missionary Baptist Church
Mt. Carmel Missionary Baptist Church
Koinonia Ministries Full Gospel Baptist
Christian Fellowship Missionary
Hope City Church
Corithian Baptist Church
Faith Temple Baptist Church
Savior Baptist Church
Shilliam COGIC
Promised Land Ministries COGIC

Bel Canto Cedar Valley

We would like to thank the following organizations and individuals:
West Music, Cedar Falls, for donating the drum set
The Max and Helen Guernsey Charitable Foundation
The Bel Canto Cedar Valley Endowment Fund
St. John’s American Lutheran Church, Cedar Falls
Kim Erisman

Wondering how you can support us?
www.belcantocedarvalley.org
www.jessecosby.org
www.gbpac.com
Waverly-Shell Rock Vocal Music