Christmas on Clairemont

[RCCAtl]

Christmas on Clairemont...

elegant, timeless, music performed by world-class artists...
December 18, 7 p.m.

The first annual "Christmas on Clairemont",  a collaborative music spectacular, debuts December 18, hosted by Daniel Solberg of First Baptist Church Decatur. The event features a full orchestra, organ, piano, a special surprise guest soloist, and a festival choir of more than a hundred local voices from First Baptist Decatur, Decatur Presbyterian Church, the Georgia State University Singers, and many others!

The concert is fully funded and presented free of charge to the public. Voluntary contributions will benefit clean drinking water in the Lake Victoria region of Kenya.

Christmas on Clairemont also will feature notable local conductors including host Daniel Solberg (First Baptist Decatur), Nick Bowden (previous host), Deanna Joseph (Georgia State University and First Presbyterian Church), Scott Atchison (Peachtree Road United Methodist Church), Rolando Salazar (Atlanta Opera Chorus), Matt McMahon (Decatur Presbyterian Church), Tim Spraggins (Haygood United Methodist Church) and Kathryn Hartgrove (First Baptist Decatur).

 

"This is one of the biggest musical collaborations we've ever seen" said Kathryn Hartgrove, music director at First Baptist Church Decatur, and voice faculty at Georgia State University. "Many musicians in the orchestra are part of the Atlanta Symphony, and we have a talented group of singers to match."

"We've been doing this model for years at a big church in Buckhead, and it's time to bring it to Decatur," Solberg said.  "All concert expenses have been covered by a generous donation, so that every dollar we collect as an offering goes straight to a worthy cause."  

Contributions received at the concert will benefit "Start With One Kenya", an organization that transforms the lives of thousands of Kenyans each year through education, clean water, building shelters and improving health.  Christmas on Clairemont will specifically benefit the Lake Victoria Water Project, which provides water filters to the Kenyan islands on Lake Victoria.  

"I had the opportunity to go to Kenya this summer," Daniel Solberg said, "and it was an emotionally transformative experience.  The people living on the islands of Lake Victoria are quite literally surrounded by water, but none of it is safe to drink."  Death rates from water born diseases on the islands of Lake Victoria are incredibly high.  "We will be funding the purchase of enough reusable water filters to provide clean water to every household on the islands of Lake Victoria."  

Come experience Christmas like you never have before at Christmas on Clairemont, 

First Baptist Church, 308 Clairemont Avenue, Decatur, GA 30030