The Community Chorus is gearing up for its Christmas Concert 2016, under the direction of Lesley M. Bush. The theme for this year’s concert is “An English Christmas,” and will feature a brass ensemble in addition to the talented 60-voice chorus.

Lesley Bush returns to the director’s stand of the Community Chorus for the sixth time. A native of Polk County, Bush graduated from Mars Hill College (now Mars Hill University) in 1988 with a bachelor’s degree in religion. He continued his education at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, Louisville, Ky., and was ordained in 1989.

He began his formal music education at age 6, studying with Charlene Means, became a church pianist at age 11, and has been continuously involved in church music since that time.

Bush is a former member of the North Carolina Baptist Singers, and has been the accompanist for the Third Century Singers of Goldsboro, N.C. He is an officer of the Rutherford County Historical Society. He has served as photographer and research assistant for 25 historical publications. He enjoys family genealogy and is a member of the Sons of the American Revolution.

He is in his 13th year as the minister of music and director of communications at Tryon Presbyterian Church. Bush lives in Rutherfordton.

The first Community Chorus rehearsal will be at 6:30 p.m. on Monday, Oct. 3, at Tryon Presbyterian Church, Harmon Field Road in Tryon. Anyone interested in choral singing is invited to participate. Monday rehearsals at 7 p.m. resume Oct. 10.

Mark your calendars for the annual Christmas Concert, which benefits the Tryon Rotary Scholarship Fund. The concert will take place on Sunday, Dec. 11, 3 p.m., at Polk County High School.

For more information, visit carolinacommunitychorus.org, or like us on Facebook at Carolina Community Chorus.

– article submitted by Sandra Sibley