There was a magical, wonderful afternoon of music today at St. Andrews by the Sea Episcopal Church in Nags Head. The Elizabeth City State University Concert Choir filled the air with some the joy and beauty of Christmas music.
The centerpiece was a performance of Amahl and the Night Visitors. Beyond the vocals, which were absolutely stellar, the performers told the story eloquently even though there were no props and no stage.
But the classic 1951 opera was not the only performance of the evening.
The Choir came together and presented a fantastic musical program.
The female ensemble of the ECSU Choir gave a hint of what was to follow with a mesmerizing presentation of O Come, Come Emmanuel. That was followed by a gofer different and compelling rendition of Away in a Manger and then an absolutely draw-dropping solo performance from university student Aisha Crosland of I Love the Lord.
The power of her voice, and the ability to keep it melodic and on pitch was astonishing—leading to a spontaneous standing ovation from the audience.
The afternoon finished with the audience joining with the choir in singing Silent Night and Joy to the World.
The ECSU Choir has a reputation as an elite college choirs, and today’s concert demonstrated why that is the case. Much of the music in the program was complex, blending harmonies and voices to create that marvelous sound.
The concert was brought to the Outer Banks by the Don and Katharine Bryan Cultural Series.
The Bryan Cultural Series has been bringing great music and other art forms to the Outer Banks for over 10 years. This particular program stands out across the memory of innumerable shows.
Next up of the Bryan Cultural Series will be the NC Symphony String Quartet on Thursday, February 23. That is one of many great reasons to visit the Outer Banks and plan a stay in a Brindley Beach Vacations home.