City of Crestview issued the following announcement.
As Crestview residents prepare to welcome the new year at the city’s second New Year’s Eve Downtown celebration, they reflect happily on a December filled with the sounds of the season. Three concerts and an evening of Christmas caroling treated a community that, while taking prescribed precautions, still refused to let the coronavirus spoil its holiday.
The events were sponsored by Crestview Mayor JB Whitten’s Cultural Series, which provided facilities and resources at no cost to the performing organizations while bringing cultural opportunities to the community.
The merriment began Dec. 7 when the North Okaloosa Community Band took to the Warriors Hall stage for an evening of Christmas music. Joining the band were two ensembles from the Crestview High School band, providing a sneak preview of the organization’s Christmas concert.
The concert began with “A Christmas Flourish,” a rousing mashup of several Christmas favorites done in a grandiose, exciting style that set the mood for a fun evening of orchestral music.
Then the more than 200 members of the Big Red Machine drew their fans by the hundreds Dec. 15, filling much of the Spanish Trail Park amphitheatre, an outdoor venue that allowed the band to perform for an audience yet adhere to Okaloosa School District COVID-19 restrictions.
Ensembles including the Chamber Winds, Concert Prep Band, Jazz Ensembles I and II, the Concert Band, Symphonic Band and Wind Ensemble treated the audience to a variety of holiday music in diverse styles and arrangements.
Two days and a 20-degree temperature plunge later, the nearly 70-voice high school chorus presented its Winter Concert, and despite the absence of several singers due to virus quarantining, delivered a chilly evening of soul-warming music.
Audience members wrapped in coats, scarves, lap robes and blankets delighted to pieces including the opening candlelit “Carol of the Bells” as the entire chorus paraded down either side of the amphitheatre while singing the Christmas carol. Performances by the Chanticleer and Destiny show choirs, Men’s and Women’s Choirs, and Chorale led up to the grand finale.
Per Crestview High tradition, the concert concluded with chorus alumni joining the full chorus in “The Hallelujah Chorus.” Following a tradition purportedly begun when Mozart first performed “The Messiah” for Emperor Josef II, many members of the audience respectfully rose to their feet for the finale, many silently mouthing the reverent words in accompaniment.
By Dec. 20, the weather was warmer, drawing about 50 people to the Crestview Christmas tree on Main Street for an evening of caroling cosponsored by the Main Street Crestview Association, conducted by Crestview High choral music director Kevin Lusk, with projected lyrics courtesy of Destiny Worship Center, cookies by the Back Home Bakery and Café and hot cocoa courtesy of Casbah Coffee Co.
The year concludes with more Main Street merriment on Dec. 31 when Crestview and its guests welcome what many hope with be a better, healthier, more prosperous New Year as Main Street Crestview and Mayor Whitten present the city’s second annual New Year’s Eve on Main Street, with food and beverages available for purchase, entertainment and fireworks at midnight.
Because there’s no place like Crestview for the holidays!
Original source can be found here.
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