Vespers concert unfolds Sunday

The sounds of the holidays will ring loud and true Sunday with the 58th annual Christmas Vespers concert.
The free concert, presented by the Southeast Kansas Christian Artist Series, will feature the voices of more than 30 local singers, and commences at 3 p.m. Sunday at Iola’s First Christian Church.
Terry Meadows, band and vocal music instructor at Humboldt High School, directs the ensemble.
The group will be accompanied by Iolans Ron Baker, organist, and Jan Knewtson on piano. Jan Kershner will play an assortment of songs on piano during intermission.
Several individuals will be spotlighted during the event.
Soloists Shelly Meadows and Matt Stuckey will sing during a special presentation of “Bethlehem Skies” as the final piece of the first half of the program. Edlyn and Jason Franklin have solo numbers during “Joy To The World (Unspeakable Joy)” to begin the second half.
The Franklins will be joined by Lissa Manbeck as soloists during “Born In A Stable” later in the performance.
Baker, chief executive officer at Allen County Regional Hospital, will provide the prelude on the organ.
Christmas Vespers will be followed in short order by several other SEKCAS concerts in the coming weeks.
The Perrys will perform Jan. 10 at First Christian Church. The Mark Trammel Quartet will be at the Bowlus Fine Arts Center Feb. 7, followed by Greater Vision and Legacy Five at the Bowlus March 7. The Jim Brady Trio will perform at First Christian Church March 28.
The Christian Artist Series concludes with a concert by the Collingsworth Family June 18 at the Bowlus.
Vespers rotates between three local churches. The 2015 Vespers will be at Wesley United Methodist Church in 2015, followed by a concert at First Presbyterian Church in 2016.