The Acorn - Dec. 27, 2025 – OCS Weekly News - Holiday Singers, Oak City Sound, Oak City Sound - (mixed)

Type of post: Chorus news item
Sub-type: The Acorn
Posted By: Mike Muha
Status: Current
Date Posted: Sat, Dec 27 2025
The Acorn – Dec. 27, 2025 – OCS Weekly News

1. High Notes
  • Dec. 29 (Mon) – Caroling at Rex Hospital
    • EVERYONE is invited to join us as we are escorted around nurses’ stations, etc.
    • 6:30p Call time. Singing from 7p – 8p.
    • Singers must sign an NDA form on-site – a standard thing we’ve been required to do in years past.
    • There will be NO rehearsal that night.
  • Jan. 5 (Mon) – Regular Rehearsal resumes at Glenaire
    • The plan is to just run the regular repertoire songs, those carrying over from 2025, to help get everyone back into the flow of the regular part of the year, and to let the new folks see what they will be looking forward to.  We won’t touch any of the newly acquired songs.  That doesn’t mean you shouldn’t start looking at them, however.  This is a chance for “returning members” to review the old songs and then take some steps on your own to start familiarizing yourself with the new.
    • We will return to our regular schedule:
    • 6:45p for Mixed
    • 8:00p for Business meeting / break
    • 8:30p for Men’s
  • Jan. 12 (Mon) – Modified Rehearsal at Glenaire
    • We will have our regular Mixed rehearsal, followed by a board installation / social:
    • 6:45p for Mixed
    • 8:00p for 2026 Board Installation / Social, with cake, etc.
2. Overtures
  • Do You Like Your Part?? Does it like or fit you?
    • If the part you’ve been singing doesn't feel like the best place for you, January will be a good time to possibly change to a new voice part.
    • We have some new music coming in 2026 and the spring convention and chorus contest in April.
    • If you would like to do some vocalizing one-on-one with Carol, send her a quick email at carolstep@gmail.com with the subject line “PART CHECK” – and we'll set up a time and location early in the new year.
  • Meetup Group – Remember to RSVP for each rehearsal and afterward, RATE us on Meetup. We are listed under Oak City Sound or “Raleigh Area A Cappella Singing Meetup Group.”
  • Fundraiser or Concert Suggestions? – Contact a member of the board and let us know.

3. Carol's Cadence (by Mike, in Carol’s absence)
  • What a FUN performance season!  All the shows went off so well.  Thanks for all the preparation and work you all put in to know and own the songs.
  • Performance songs for Dec. 29 at Rex (probably paired as a Mixed and a HC at each stop)
    1. It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year     (Mixed)
    2. Gloucestershire Wassail          (Mixed)
    3. S’vivon            (Mixed)
    4. Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas        (Mixed)
    5. Carol of the Bells        (Holiday Chorus)
    6. I Want a Hippopotamus for Christmas           (Holiday Chorus)
    7. Holly Jolly Christmas             (Holiday Chorus)
    8. Mele Kalikimaka         (Holiday Chorus)

4. Accelerando
HOLIDAY PERFORMANCES – where Holiday Chorus members are invited to perform!: Times listed below are PERFORMANCE start times. CALL times will be earlier!
  • December 29 (Mon): 7pm: Caroling at UNC Rex Hospital. Call is 6:30pm. Holiday Chorus members are invited to join us!
2026 Dates:
  • January will mark the beginning of rehearsals at Glenaire, 4000 Glenaire Circle, Cary.
  • Jan. 12 will be our awards/installation celebration
  • April 17-18:  District Convention & Contest (Hendersonville, N.C.) – optional, but most members try to go. Our chorus usually sings for evaluation scores. Any of our quartets plan to compete?!

5. In Harmony (Around the BHS World)
  • Jan 13 – 18, 2026:  BHS Midwinter, Pasadena, California.
  • April 17 – 18, 2026:  Carolinas District Convention & Contest (2026)
  • June 28 – July 5, 2026: BHS International (2026) – St. Louis, Missouri.
  • Future International locations: 2027 – Minneapolis, MN; 2028 – Chicago, Ill.; 2029 – San Antonio, Texas

6. Major & Minor Moods
Please send our friends your prayers & best wishes!
  • However you celebrate – or just rest – enjoy the holidays, still going on, with New Year’s this week.
  • Carol and Gary are traveling (a cruise, I believe), so Carol is getting some much-needed rest away from chorus stuff.  We wish them the best, and I hope all of us will be ready to go when they return.