Singers and Community Chamber Orchestra combine again for winter concert

By Bob Steenson, bsteenson@charlescitypress.com

Another full house enjoyed the music of the Charles City Singers and the Charles City Community Chamber Orchestra, performing separately and then combined for the finale Sunday afternoon at Trinity United Methodist Church.

This is the second year the groups have combined for a holiday concert, this year entitled “Season of Giving” and featuring traditional as well as lesser known seasonal selections by both groups.

Charles City Singers Director Scott Blankenbaker said the groups had so much fun last year when they combined for the winter concert, and had such a good reaction from the audience, that they decided to do it again.

Blankenbaker lives in Charles City and works in Austin as a music instructor at Riverland Community College.

Matt McLellan, conductor of the Charles City Community Chamber Orchestra, said he was a little nervous about the performance because his father, Bruce McLellan, was sitting in, in the viola section, and his father was also a music instructor and conductor.

McLellan was hired last year as high school instrumental music director at Waverly-Shell Rock school, and is in his second year of directing the chamber orchestra.

Members of the Charles City Singers are: Marcie Andrews, Kris Boyd, Jen Burton, Sue Davis, Chris Eldridge, Melanie Johanningmeier, Sharon Nikolai, Audrey Sansgard, Jessica Schwickerath, Kelly Sweet, Kate Campbell, Christine Cleveland, June Cleveland, Judy Hauser, Allison Hocking, Linda Hughes, Roxanne Johnson, Susan Leeper, Cora Rubendall, Linda Willemssen, Barbara Wohlers, Chuck Garmen, Kelvin Keifer, Keith Kreun, Charley Perry, Roy Schwickerath, Kip Hauser, Mark Pittman, Alan Powell and Scott Stroud.

Members of the Charles City Community Chamber Orchestra are: Kimberly Birch, Doralyn Bigelow, Danielle Ellingson, Wendy Johnson, Rhiannon Funte, Kara Vogelson, Nancy Western, Bethany Otte, Grace Barter, Sarah O’Neill, Bruce McClellan, Carissa Eagan, Lynn Wilkens and Ellen Bengtson.