Lake Oconee Lutheran hosts benefit concert

  • The East Georgia Concert Chorale sings at Lake Oconee Lutheran Church’s benefit concert. LEIGH LOFGREN/Staff
    The East Georgia Concert Chorale sings at Lake Oconee Lutheran Church’s benefit concert. LEIGH LOFGREN/Staff
  • Dr Jana Williams played piano for the chorale throughout the night. LEIGH LOFGREN/Staff
    Dr Jana Williams played piano for the chorale throughout the night. LEIGH LOFGREN/Staff

    Lake Oconee Lutheran Church hosted a benefit concert on May 20, raising $3,400 for The Victory Train.

    This free concert was presented by the East Georgia Concert Chorale, directed by Dr. Brian Williams, and accompanied on piano by his wife, Dr. Jana Williams, who is also a singer and harpist.

    The East Georgia Concert Chorale began late last year when someone asked on Nextdoor, “Do you like singing the music of Byrd, Vivaldi, Mozart, and other great composers?”

    Then, Williams and his wife, Jana, created a wonderful group of people who love to sing inspirational music, and thus their first public performance took place.

    This one-hour concert had the audience glued to their seats, and not a sound was heard other than the voices. When the last note was played, loud applause followed.

    During a brief pause, Theresa Kemp, Founder and President of the Victory Train, spoke about the volunteer-driven organization, which now has over 400 volunteers working together to ensure school readiness for families and help all children graduate.

    Members of the Concert Chorale were sopranos Cindy Coker, Rusty Faulk, Karrine Fish, Margie Heimer, Rosie Hermann and Donna Valvo; altos Brenda Austin, Carol Gracco, Carol Grant, Linda Hammett, Jenny Moore, Katie Price, Suzanne Vest and Sandy Williamson; tenors Bruce Angier, Tom Bantly, Hal Meeks and Joe Williamson; and bass singers, Frank Cassara, Lewis Hammett, Dave Heimer, Drace Langford and Norris McElroy.