There is no doubt that Risen Savior’s first Community Christmas Concert was a resounding success! Every seat, upstairs and downstairs, was occupied by the standing-room-only audience of 475 that donated more than 1,000 pounds of food to the Chandler Food Bank.
The gala celebration of Christmas was hosted by Master of Ceremonies, Rev. Ron Burcham (Risen Savior’s Senior Pastor) who ensured that everyone in attendance had a great time; from checking in on videos of the weather back home, to taking celebrity selfies with the entertainers and leading a heartwarming tribute to US troops stationed away from home this Christmas.
Musical highlights of the concert included a solo performed by renowned trumpeter and international recording artist, Tim Moke; along with a moving piano styling by popular Sun Lakes pianist, Tom McKay; and a beautiful solo by accomplished Arizona oboist, Kristin Zehnder. In addition, the Risen Savior Band and featured vocalist Lisette Salazar, delivered a touching rendition of the Christmas classic, Mary Did You Know.
The audience was also entertained with selected Christmas music performed by the Risen Savior Concert Choir, the Bell Choir, trumpeter Chuck Deuth, and the Worship Band. But above all, many of the high points of the concert were created by the members of the audience who had a wonderful experience singing their favorite Christmas carols while accompanied by the entire cast of musicians.
The program ended with the concert choir and band saluting the audience with We Wish You A Merry Christmas. Thereafter, the audience and the performers joined together for a complimentary reception in the church Fellowship Hall.
When asked about the tremendous success of Risen Savior’s first Community Christmas Concert, Rev. Burcham stated, “I am very grateful to the members of the church and the gifted musicians who conceived, created, and presented this marvelous celebration of Christmas.”
He added, “We are already discussing the need to hold two performances next year to accommodate a larger audience. Once people have the opportunity to tell their friends and neighbors about their experience at this year’s concert, we anticipate an even larger demand for seats throughout the future. If you did not attend this year’s concert, be sure to join us next year and see how much fun it is to enjoy exceptional performances of Christmas music, combined with an old-fashioned Christmas Carol sing-a-long.”