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First Congregational teen choirs to begin Midwest tour

The Alleluia Sound High School Choir and the Good Vibrations Handbell Choir from the First Congregational Church present their 44th annual Spring Concert Tour April 22-25.

This year's High School Choirs Tour begins with a pre-tour concert during the 10:45 a.m. service Sunday, April 17, at the church, 461 Pierson St. in Crystal Lake.

The choir will depart April 22 to perform at several different locations during the four-day period, on Friday night at 7:30 p.m. the choirs will present a concert at Asbury United Methodist Church in Janesville, Wisconsin. Then Saturday they travel to Minnesota to perform during Sunday services at Oak Grove Presbyterian Church in Bloomington, Minn. On Monday, they will perform for St. Joseph School in Baraboo, Wisconsin.

They conclude their tour back in Crystal Lake with their "Welcome Home Concert" at 7 p.m. Monday, April 25, in FCC's sanctuary. The public is invited to attend. Admission is free to all performances.

The 30-voice Alleluia Sound is made up of students from Cary-Grove, Crystal Lake Central, Crystal Lake South, Jacobs, McHenry West, Prairie Ridge and Woodstock high schools. In addition to providing weekly music at worship services at the church, they prepare a variety of musical selections for their annual tour. Alleluia Sound will sing the original composition, "Knock and the Door Will Be Opened," written by Tom Vos to commemorate the choir's 25th anniversary. Vos, a composer and professional violinist, grew up in Crystal Lake, attending Crystal Lake Central High School and singing in the FCC Choirs from preschool through his high school graduation in 1988. Seniors Emilie Erbland, Blake Iscra and Will Restrepo will perform a handbell feature "English Dance."

"Lord You Are Light" by John Leavitt will be performed by the 2016 Alleluia Sound seniors Emilie Erbland, Adam Evertsen, Blake Iscra, Will Restrepo, Priya Richard, Alex Rouhandeh. Elizabeth Routzahn will be soloist on Mark Hayes' arrangement of "Shut De' Do."

Alleluia Sound's featured work will be Ken Medema's "Moses." The choir will also perform "Hold Me Rock Me" by Brian Tate, "O Nata Lux" by Tom Porter and "Gloria in Excelsis Deo" by Joseph Haydn. The Alleluia Sound women will sing Andrea Ramsey's uplifting "We Are Blessed"; the men will sing the rollicking sea chantey "Old Man Noah" arranged by Marshall Bartholomew. Good Vibrations bell choir will play "Jubilant Fanfare" by Kevin McChesney, "Celebrate with Ringing" by Michael Mazzatenta, "Arioso" by Judy Phillips, "Fanfare and Exaltation" by Dan Edwards and "Simple Gifts" arranged by Cathy Moklebust for part of their portion of the program. The traditional "Bell Boogie" as well as "This Little Light" featuring Ryan Tucker, Emilie Erbland and Blake Iscra as soloists will close the tour program.

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