Alvin M. Keeling 
COSHOCTON — Auditions for the Coshocton Community Choir will be held next week at the organization’s office, 1035 Walnut St.
A prepared song is not necessary. There are openings in all sections, but director Chuck Snyder said there was mostly a need for first and second sopranos and first and second tenors.
Rehearsals are at 6:30 p.m. on Sundays beginning September 11 for the band’s December 11 concert titled “O Come, Let Us Adore.” Auditions for the school-aged ensembles, the Coshocton Singers and Coshocton Youth Chorale, will take place after the Coshocton County Fair.
The choirs had members from all over the state of Ohio. The vocalists for last season’s 50th anniversary edition of the band came from Coshocton and nine other counties.
Rehearsals will be held at Emmanuel Lutheran Church, 1500 Pleasant Valley Drive. The choir had rehearsed at Grace United Methodist Church, but was moved due to the May fire that engulfed the building. Gordon Kendall, Chairman of the Choir Council, so they plan to return to Grace UMC once it is rebuilt.
“I am so grateful that Emmanuel Lutheran Church has offered its facilities as a temporary home until Grace Church becomes available again. On behalf of the entire community choir, thank you to Coshocton and area for your patience and your continued support,” Kendall said in a statement. Release.
Pastor Bryan Kittner of Emmanuel Lutheran said they had discussed making more use of church facilities for the good of the community.
“We felt this opportunity to open our church to the community choir at this time because their rehearsal space was a perfect fit and aligned well with our church’s mission,” Kittner said in the statement. “The Coshocton Community Choir brings the spirit of worship to the audience, which is awesome. At their concerts, the heavens seem to open up for a few moments, which is so inspiring.”
The choir has ties to Emmanuel Lutheran as Snyder was the church’s junior choir director from 1970, shortly after he returned to Coshocton to teach. He then directed the senior choir from 1972 to 1976. He left in 1976 to work at the Coshocton Presbyterian Church.
Emmanuel Lutheran left his old building at Seventh and Walnut streets in 1973 for his current home. The choir performed Handel’s “Messiah” to a packed audience in the new building in December.
For more information about the choir, email coshoctoncommunitychoir@gmail.com or visit coshoctoncommunitychoir.org. Schedule an audition by calling 740-623-0554 and leaving a message with your name and phone number if there is no answer.
Submitted by Coshocton Community Choir
