The music of the season

The crowd filling Madison-Mayodan Recreation Center’s gymnasium Saturday afternoon was there for more than the finger foods and punch.

They were there for the fellowship – the Madison-Mayodan Fellowship Choir, that is.

Director Faye Webster said fellowship had always been more than just a part of the group’s name.

“Fellowship is a major part of what we do,” she said. “Second only to eating. Singing comes third.”

Now in its twenty-fifth year, the group began as a music theory class at Rockingham Community College with just 11 students. Webster said the group would do a little singing as a practical demonstration of what they were learning.

“That just sort of grew until it soon became all singing,” Webster said.

From that original class of 11, the group has grown to more than 50.

Although it meets in the Madison-Mayodan Recreation Center each Wednesday morning, the choir is truly a “fellowship” from around the county. Members travel from Eden, Reidsville and Wentworth, as well as from all parts of western Rockingham County.

The choir’s annual tradition of presenting a holiday musical continued Saturday with their performance of “Christmas Is a Birthday.”

Webster said the program was a combination of a traditional musical production and a bit of Poor Man’s Theater.

“There’s no stage or special lighting,” she said. “Just some simple, inexpensive costumes and a desire to do something to bring the Christmas story to life with a little humor and a lot of sincerity.”

The morning’s presentation began with several humorous songs and skits, including a duet proclaiming a desire to keep “Away from the Mistletoe” and a musical feud between proponents of live and real Christmas trees.

Things turned more serious as the choral group moved into the performance of their cantata, relaying the birth of Jesus as told by the Bethlehem innkeeper, the shepherds from the hillside and the trio of wise men from the East.

Saturday’s program included a few extra performers. Webster added a small band to supplement her piano accompaniment several years ago. This year’s musicians included Webster’s husband, Keith, and Burton Thomas playing guitar, Jimmy Webster on bass, Glenn Joyce on steel guitar, and Jack O’Neal playing drum and spoons. Ruby Damron assisted Webster by turning pages for her at the piano.

Vocal soloists for this year’s program included: Barbara Porter, Martha Preston, Irene Crowder, Curtis Cupp, Sam Hill, Marie Fox, Margie Thomas, Shirley Holcomb, Alice Farmer, Pat Joyce, Johnny Vogt, Mary Jo Roswell, Faye Kallam, Emory Chronister, Larry Joyce and Reed Damron.

Narrators and readers were: Lou Lawson, June Ore, Eunice Comer, Bruce Lawson, Dusty Lathrop, Linda French, Bea Grogan, John Overman, Bud Cardwell, Kay Meachum and Dickey Goad.

Following the traditional closing with everyone joining to sing “Joy to the World,” the M-M Recreation Department staff and volunteers handed out poinsettias to every family in attendance.