Arts & Culture

St. James UMC to host Oglethorpe Singers for China send-off concert

On July 14, two days before they are set to depart for a series of performances in China, the Oglethorpe University Singers will perform a send-off concert at St. James United Methodist Church, located two miles from campus in Brookhaven.

One of only three U.S. groups invited, the Singers are traveling at the request of Dr. Tim Sharp, the executive director of the American Choral Directors Association and a guest artist at the Singers’ spring 2018 bluegrass concert. The government in Beijing allocated funds to promote choral music throughout China and asked Dr. Sharp to field invites for American groups to visit as demonstration choirs.

From July 16-24, the Singers will travel from Beijing to Xi’an and then back to Beijing, attending press conferences, performing a 30-minute set of American choral music, and visiting famous Chinese landmarks and cultural sites like the Forbidden City, the Great Wall of China, and the Terracotta Warriors and Horses Museum.

The group, under the direction of Dr. Timothy Powell, will perform several times at the Xi’an International Choral Festival, and then again at the Juyong Pass of the Great Wall in Beijing.

The Singers’ send-off concert will take place at the St. James United Methodist Church on Sunday, July 14 at 7:00 p.m. Admission is free, but donations are greatly appreciated.

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