Pictured above is the 2017 Mass Choir under the direction of Mr. Josh Gatlin at the 10th annual District Choir Fest held on April 23 at Fulton First United Methodist Church. Photo by Penny Story.
Plans are underway for the 11th annual Choir Fest (a.k.a. Music Fest) in the Purchase District (formerly Paducah District). The 2018 event is scheduled to take place Sunday, February 18 from 6:00-8:00 p.m. at First United Methodist Church (UMC) in Mayfield, Kentucky, under the direction of Mr. Buckley Walker. Mr. Walker currently serves as choir director at Mayfield First UMC. Since October 8, 2017, members of the Purchase District Laity Team have been contacting local church choir directors, music directors, pastors or designated contact persons to recruit choirs, groups, and/or individuals from each church to participate in the mass choir.
If you would like to sing in the mass choir, contact Dianna Colson (contact information below) or the Purchase District Office. The mass choir will be performing two (2) choral pieces at the event. The total cost of both pieces is $3.75 per person. Please register soon so district staff can make sure to order enough music.
Donations will be accepted through a love offering at Choir Fest with ALL proceeds benefiting Reelfoot Rural Ministries, located in Obion, TN - a ministry of the Memphis Conference of The United Methodist Church. Those giving to the offering are asked to make checks payable to their local church and write “Reelfoot Rural Ministries” in the memo line. Then, each local church is asked to write one check made payable to Purchase District UMC and write “Reelfoot Rural Ministries” in the memo line and bring it to Choir Fest for the offering. After Choir Fest, the district will then write one check to Reelfoot.
At the event in the Spring of 2017, a mass choir of approximately 69 voices from five (5) United Methodist church choirs along with several persons participating as individuals gathered for the 10th annual Choir Fest with proceeds totaling $4,020.00 and benefiting Reelfoot Rural Ministries.
Mark your calendars now to attend Choir Fest at 6:00 p.m. February 18 at Mayfield First UMC.
Contact Dianna Colson, lay leader of the Purchase District UMC at (270) 527-1939 or the Purchase District Office at 270-527-8282.
The Laity Team of the Purchase District of the Memphis Conference of The United Methodist Church.