Men’s Chorus will harmonize for the holidays

BUCYRUS – A men’s chorus is “United” in the spirit of giving this holiday season.

United In Harmony will hold its annual Christmas Concert Sunday, Dec. 12, at 4 p.m. at Good Hope Lutheran Church, 129 W. Charles Street.  The concert is free, but a freewill offering will be taken to benefit the Adopt-A-Child for Christmas program in Crawford County.

“The thought of any child not having gifts at Christmas, it just breaks my heart,” said Randy Fischer, United In Harmony’s president.  “We couldn’t be any happier, singing Christmas songs to help with this program.  We’re just really happy to be doing this.”

The four-part harmony chorus, which has been singing together for more than a decade, will perform a wide range of both sacred and secular Christmas music for the program, Fischer said.  The concert will also include an audience Carol Sing.

Some of the songs will include favorites like “Little Drummer Boy,” “Mary, Did You Know?’ and the bluesy “Please Come Home for Christmas,” Fischer said.  Even the “Believe” song from the popular movie “The Polar Express” will be performed.

United In Harmony, based in Bucyrus, started their Christmas Concert tradition in 2017, Fischer said, as part of Good Hope Lutheran’s 175th-anniversary celebration.  The love offering that first year went to support the Bucyrus Feeding Ministries program.

The group had to forgo their 2020 show due to the COVID-19 pandemic, Fischer said, and decided this year to support Crawford County Job & Family Services with its drive to provide Christmas presents to foster children and kids in prevention services.

What started out back in 2010 as a quartet of guys who just “liked to get together and sing” has since grown to a group of 22 voices, Fischer said, who regularly perform dozens of shows throughout the year in the North Central Ohio area, he said.

The group – under the direction of George Gibbs and accompanied by Marcia Burkhart on piano – has also had the honor of singing the “National Anthem” at both the Cleveland Indians and Cleveland Cavaliers baseball and basketball games.