After a year’s hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic, the Indianapolis Children’s Choir will be able to spread its holiday cheer in person this year.
The Indianapolis Children’s Choir will present its holiday concert “Comfort and Joy” Dec. 17-19 at Second Presbyterian Church, 7700 N. Meridian St., Indianapolis. In recent years, the concerts had been held at St. Luke’s United Methodist Church in Indianapolis.
“So, we’re really excited to be in a new space,” ICC Artistic Director Joshua Pedde said.
The shows are at 7 p.m. Dec. 17, 3 and 7 p.m. Dec. 18 and 4 p.m. Dec. 19.
“The 7 o’clock performances will be our advanced singers,” said Pedde, a Carmel resident. “The afternoon performance will feature beginning levels and intermediate choirs. The younger kids sing for just over an hour and the advanced ones sing for an hour and 15 minutes to an hour-and-a-half worth of music. The whole program will be showcased over that weekend.”
Pedde said there will be some different arrangements of holiday classic songs, such as “Jingle Bells” and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen.”
“We’re doing some new music,” Pedde said. “We’re doing a version of the ‘Dance of the Sugar Plum Fairy’ that was recorded by Pentatonix. There is going to be something for everybody at these performances.”
The Dec. 19 concert will feature the ICC alumni choir.
“Alumni from the past 36 years will be together to sing along with the Indianapolis Children’s Choir,” Pedde said. “We have about 50 that will be our alumni choir. They will be featured on a couple songs on their own. They come together (Dec. 18), do rehearsal, have some time for fellowship and put on the concert (Dec. 19). The range is from some of our founders 36 years ago to recent college graduates.”
Pedde, who is his sixth year as artistic director, is familiar with many of the alumni. He has been with the choir for 20 years.
Pedde said the holiday concerts have been held at several places, including first being held at Second Presbyterian Church several years ago.
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the 2020 holiday concert was videoed and available to watch streaming during the month of December.
“Our COVID protocols include social distancing and masking,” Pedde said. “Our audience also will be asked to wear a mask while they are in the building. We are taking extra precautions as we see cases rise here.”
Pedde said ICC did hold an in-person concert in the fall.
Pedde said the ICC has been busy this holiday season, participating in three different presentations of “The Nutcracker” in central Indiana and singing at the Indianapolis Zoo.
“We’re getting back to as normal a schedule as we possibly can still during this time,” Pedde said.
The “Comfort and Joy” concert will be recorded and presented early in the morning on Christmas Eve and Christmas Day on WTHR-13.
“It’s never the full concert but people can see portions of the concert,” Pedde said.
For tickets, visit icchoir.org/tickets. Tickets will be available at the door.
