The Chattanooga Music Club will host a free “Holiday Festivity” program for the community on Nov. 20, at 3 p.m. at First Cumberland Presbyterian Church, 1505 N. Moore Road. The public is encouraged to attend the program featuring the Metropolitan Bells and the Choral Arts Society. This program will also feature a Sing Along and a visit from Santa Claus himself.
The Metropolitan Bells, under the direction of Gary Bynum, is an advanced community handbell ensemble consisting of auditioned ringers from the Greater Chattanooga area. They perform on seven octaves of Malmark bells, and seven octaves of Malmark choirchimes. The goal of the organization is to bring advanced sacred and secular handbell music to the community and to promote the art of handbell ringing.
Choral Arts of Chattanooga, under the artistic direction of Darrin Hassevoort, is one of the city’s premier choral groups, founded on the cornerstones of vocal excellence and quality choral literature, said officials. Established by Dr. John Hamm in 1985, Choral Arts has been part of the music scene in Chattanooga for more than 35 years.
The Chattanooga Music Club was founded in 1896 by a small group of musicians dedicating the club to the stimulation of interest in the beauties of art in Chattanooga. The CMC holds the distinction of being the oldest music club in Tennessee and has played a leadership role in Chattanooga’s fine arts for 125 years. It continues to provide free music concerts to the public and to foster other music activities to members and guests. The CMC is also renowned for major restorations of the Austin pipe organ at the Soldiers & Sailors Memorial Auditorium.