The North Shore Music Association is delighted to sponsor the annual Borealis Chorale & Orchestra Christmas concerts on December 13 and 14. The concerts will begin at 7 pm at Bethlehem Lutheran Church. Come enjoy both new and long-loved seasonal works by celebrated composers, sung by your friends and neighbors, and led by director Karina Roth. 

This year’s program features "Wexford Carol," a new composition by local composer Bill Beckstrand, with Eric Anderson on trombone and a vocal ensemble. Other works will include a selection from Handel’s Messiah, and a small women’s ensemble singing "Candle Blessing," a Hanukkah piece by David Ludwig. Handel’s "The People That Walked in Darkness" will feature Scott Mehlhaff, baritone; and "Rise Up, Shepherd, and Follow," by Gordon Thornett, will feature Aurora Schelmeske, soprano. Scott Mehlhaff, Mike Roth, Aurora Schelmeske, Hannah Miller, and Erika Ternes will be featured soloists in the piece "Come Unto Him," by BJ Muus, 

About the Borealis Chorale & Orchestra: From the early days of Cook County’s Symphonium Music Club in the 1950s to today’s Borealis Chorale & Orchestra (BCO), hundreds of talented and devoted community members have kept the art of choral music alive in Cook County. Since 2013, an affiliation with the nonprofit North Shore Music Association has helped the BCO expand opportunities for community participation in choral and orchestral music. 

Related: Small Town, Big Voices: From 16 to 80 years-old, the singers of the Borealis Chorale and Orchestra in Grand Marais lift up hearts year after year

Truly a community-sustained group, the BCO is largely funded by donations from Cook County residents and visitors. Concert admission is free to the public, but for those who are able to give a suggested donation of $10 to $20 per person is greatly appreciated. These contributions allow the group’s director to purchase music and, at times, pay visiting musicians to fill in gaps. Giving to the BCO means helping to ensure that this beloved tradition can continue. Donations made to the BCO via the North Shore Music Association are tax deductible. 

Bethlehem Lutheran Church is located at 417 W First Ave, Grand Marais.